8Bit/Digi

Welcome Back to the Horzine Biotech Nightmare

One of my favorite stories in the games industry has always been about fan made mods that successfully grew to become full-fledged titles. It’s even more impressive when they carve out their own identity and escape the shadow of the original. While Counter-Strike is the most famous example, many other games have followed a similar path. One such example has been the Killing Floor series, which not only established its own identity but also helped Tripwire Interactive become a respected name.

Killing Floor 3 is the third entry in the series, once again pitting players against relentless waves of Zeds. This time, the world has changed and so have the horrors born from Horzine Biotech, now twisted into forms barely resembling anything human. Despite the terror, players must work together to rid the world of this plague.

Zeds in America

It’s the year 2091, and the biological horrors created by Horzine Biotech have spread across the globe. No longer confined to Europe, the Zed invasion has reached North America and Japan. Players assume the role of a Nightfall operative, serving as humanity’s last line of defense. They’ll be deployed worldwide to uncover clues and eliminate infestations, hoping to bring this nightmare to an end once and for all.

I don’t want to knock down the writers, but Killing Floor is one of those games where the story isn’t the main draw. It’s there to give you a purpose while explaining why you’re here and what’s happening, but that’s about it. Everything else fades into the background. You’re not paying attention to character development or complex narrative world-building. Instead, you’re focused on surviving waves of Zeds coming at you. For a game like Killing Floor 3, that’s perfectly fine as it’s not meant to be a story driven experience.

Dangerous Locations

Killing Floor 3 is a cooperative shooter where up to six players are deployed to hot zones to complete objectives while battling waves of Zeds. Each match begins in a hideout, where you can upgrade your character or learn the game’s basic mechanics. Once you’re ready, you can deploy to any hot zone available on the map.

Before each mission, players will select their character from six available options. There are familiar classes like Soldier, Sharpshooter, and Medic, along with unique ones such as Pyro and Ninja. Each character comes with special traits that offer advantages in combat, as well as weaknesses that require team coordination to overcome. Each character will have their own unique weapon, sidearm, and gear, allowing them to overcome specific obstacles. At the same time, their abilities will be limited by their class. This balance is welcomed as it ensures no character is overpowered and encourages cooperation. As players spend more time with each class, they’ll gradually boost stats and unlock upgrades for perks, skills, and equipment.

Combat is a mix of fast-paced action, survival tactics, and smart use of gear at the right moment. Yes, go wild and blast Zeds to pieces. Aim for the head to score quick kills and rack up points. But always stay aware of your surroundings and avoid getting cornered. At the same time, don’t waste your grenades or special attacks on basic Zeds. Save them for tougher enemies or moments when it really counts.

Noble Blood

Killing Floor 3 is one of those games that leaves me with mixed feelings. On one hand, it gets a lot of things right; on the other, it stumbles into many of the same pitfalls we’ve seen in other titles over the past few years.

Right from the start, I’ve really enjoyed the new Zed designs. They look like a grotesque fusion of the Pale Man from Pan’s Labyrinth and the Chimera from the Resistance series. Creating a disgusting, terrifying, and incredibly satisfying abomination to blast apart. It continues the series’ long-standing effort to make Zeds anything but generic zombies, and this iteration might feature some of the best designs yet.

But having grotesque, fleshy bags of meat as enemies means nothing if the combat isn’t equally exhilarating. Thankfully, the M.E.A.T. 2.0 system makes blasting Zeds an absolute thrill. Most weapons handle smoothly, and the act of tearing through enemies feels incredibly satisfying. This is exactly the kind of action I expect from a game like Killing Floor 3, and it does a solid job at delivering it.

Pound of Flesh

The pitfalls it stumbles into are the same ones that have plagued other multiplayer sequels over the past five years. Killing Floor 3 isn’t in the same league as PAYDAY 3 or Overwatch 2 when it comes to a quality downgrade, as it’s not buggy or broken. However, much of its charm and defining characteristics feel lost in this installment. It opts to play like most modern shooters, sacrificing the unique identity that drew so many of us to the original mod and Killing Floor 2.

Another issue is that while the combat is fast-paced and satisfying, nearly every other action feels sluggish. There’s little noticeable difference between walking and sprinting beyond a change in animation, and climbing or vaulting over obstacles feels like an exercise in patience. None of this matches the pacing of the combat, and it’s something I find particularly annoying in first-person shooters.

So what does this all mean? Killing Floor 3 isn’t a bad game; the combat is fun and violently satisfying, but everything else that made the series great feels lost. Despite these shortcomings, I did enjoy playing it, and I do see potential for it to improve over time.

Maximum Potential

Killing Floor 3 delivers on intense combat and grotesquely memorable enemy design that improves upon its predecessors. However, it struggles to maintain the identity and charm that once set it apart from other shooters. Clunky movement and a more generic presentation hold it back from truly standing out. Still, the core gameplay loop remains fun, and with time, updates, and community feedback, there’s real potential for it to grow.

Disclaimer: The publisher, through a PR representative, provided the game used for this review.

This review is the critique and thoughts of one writer. If you want to see how other critics felt, then check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Killing Floor 3 (PC)

7

Good

7.0/10

Pros

• Easy to learn gameplay and combat.
• Solid co-op action that is fun to play with others.
• New Zed design is creepy and fun to blast.
• Intense combat and action.

Cons

• Loss of its defining identity and characteristics.
• Sluggish action and gameplay outside of combat.