Killing Floor 3: A shooting fest for adrenaline junkies

There's no need to beat around the bush with Killing Floor 3. It's the next nerve-racking chapter in Tripwire Interactive's popular co-op horror game series, in which the goal is to snuff out the lights of the undead. At Gamescom, we were able to test the current version, which has no ambitions to be complete. In fact, there were still a few obvious areas for improvement. Above all, the developers wanted to convince us that single players were not neglected, and they succeeded.

Alone at a PC, surrounded by four developers who, with almost childish excitement (but very likeable), could hardly wait to show off their latest achievements. You feel a little like you're on display, even if it's the game that was being demonstrated. Regardless, their enthusiasm spoke volumes and they got straight to the point: Although Killing Floor is a multiplayer co-op experience, many players prefer to fight alone, and Killing Floor 3 should be ideally balanced for this target group too. OK, then let's get into the zombie fray.

It took less than five seconds for the graphical leap to become noticeable compared to its predecessors. Unreal Engine 5 provides more realistic-looking environments and bright visual effects that make the dark and spooky atmosphere even more visible. The graphic designers obviously prefer pitch-black settings, because that's where dynamic lighting effects stand out best in the industrial-looking game environment. Although the darkness is not consistent, because normally lit sections avoid the impression of color grading through the back door, the aforementioned darkness stuck in our minds as a strong feature.

Maybe it's just because it's also very present in the title picture and in the menus and, together with the red body ketchup, it creates a particularly creepy setting. A global stylistic device for the game? It's hard to say when you only see one map. In other levels, it could be completely different.

Given the post-apocalyptic setting, which once again tells of the misdeeds of the Horzine Biotech Corporation, there are plenty of opportunities to incorporate colorful maps, but we suspect that the horror element will remain dominant. Otherwise, why would the flashlight be highlighted as one of the most important secondary tools?

Hard lead against not so dead flesh

As expected, Killing Floor 3's gameplay stays true to the series' roots, but expands the mechanics and gameplay experience in some places. Up to six players can once again join forces in co-op teams to fight against hordes of dangerous mutants and Zeds. The class system funds the tactical aspect of the game and allows for role assignments within the group.

Killing Floor 3 will also boast new equipment. Crazy upgraded firearms, close combat methods and grenades will quickly transform the battlefield into a zombie slaughterhouse, and carefully modified weapons can bring important advantages. More accurate scopes, more grippy stocks, magazines with various loading capacities and rates of fire – there are a lot of things that can be swapped out.

These are advantages that you should definitely take advantage of as a solo player, because without the tactical support of companions, a lot depends on your chosen weapon. For example, you can rarely afford long reload times. Seven overarching categories help you to get an overall picture of your attack potential, namely accuracy, damage, rate of fire, handling, penetration, recoil and reload speed.

Precision is required in solo play

As chaotic as the slaughter may be in co-op, wild actions would only be a hindrance in solo play. As soon as waves of undead appear on the battlefield, the only thing that helps is precise aiming, landing headshots and keeping an overview – if you stick to this and keep as much distance as possible, you will live longer, because these are not classic lame zombies. Given their speed and aggressiveness, you will often find yourself clenching your buttocks.

Some crawl, some run, some have crazy blades and other weapons strapped to their belts. A real army of death. All Zeds have one thing in common: They want to get at your throat as quickly as possible. Don't worry if a horde like that triggers your flight instinct. Especially when a big Bloat enters the scene. They are resistant bullet sponges that can quickly send you into a panic. Even on one of the halfway comfortable levels of difficulty, we quickly got into a sweat. It's hard to imagine what it's like to get to the “Hell on Earth” level.

It's difficult to stay calm in the face of the looming numerical superiority, but if things get tricky, the so-called Zed-Time can help. This is an artificial slow-motion mode in which you have more time to aim and can therefore land more effective hits. However, you have to earn it by getting a large number of kills.

Since each battle consists of several rounds, you have the chance to swap weapons and ammunition at a loading point during the short breaks. And of course your mods too, although it would be unwise to tinker around frantically. Instead, use ready-made mods or those that you have saved in advance. If you still have time during the break, you can lay down shock traps or send out an autonomously fighting drone and put together a strategy.

The size of the waves of enemies in the game rounds depends on the number of players. Even the heavily armored final boss in our session, who we could only defeat by aiming very precisely at small weak spots, was designed for a single player. If you have six zombie hunters, you'll have to deal with three of the massive giants.

Conclusion

by Denis Brown

Already rocking

Hectic, funky, full of adrenaline. I don't think I've ever sweated so much at a Gamescom demonstration, and it certainly wasn't because of the lack of air conditioning in the exhibition halls. When a horde of Zeds rushes off, things quickly get hectic. Flamethrower or machine gun? Keep your distance or scurry through and hope for the best? No matter what you decide, the urge to switch to instinctive action is great, and you really need a cool head for that.

The developers have provided impressive evidence that solo players will get their money's worth in Killing Floor 3, and it will certainly be even better for teams of up to six players. Although the game isn't quite finished yet, I could only identify a few major errors. For example, the boss of my session refused to come down to my level for a while and instead got caught on a building wall. Nothing that a little fine-tuning couldn't solve.

Look forward to the release, which has not yet been precisely determined, but will take place in early 2025.