Killing Floor 3 Review – Bottoming Out

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I find myself puzzled by Tripwire Interactive’s Killing Floor 3. I get the basic concept: a rebellious group fighting against a corporation manufacturing monstrous creatures for reasons related to human evolution. The gameplay loop, where you kill Zeds for cash to upgrade weapons, then kill more Zeds, is also clear. Even the excessive gore and the slow-motion Zed Time, with its splattering of viscera and flying limbs, seems justifiable given today’s action movie standards, thanks to Snyder. What I can’t grasp, though, is why the more I play, the less enjoyable it feels.

Some might argue that they’ve been anticipating this for quite some time, particularly following the closed beta at the beginning of the year. While the delay had its advantages, which I’ll touch on later, it’s still hard not to feel underwhelmed when comparing it to its more acclaimed predecessors. The campaign is where it all starts, but sadly, that’s not entirely accurate. Instead, let’s delve into why this new release pales in comparison to its esteemed forerunners in virtually every aspect.

In the year 2091, Horzine Corporation is creating monstrous creatures known as Zeds for a sinister objective. As part of Nightfall team, it’s your task to eliminate this infestation, despite learning from a codex that these creatures are mass-produced at an alarming speed. These numbers could symbolize the overwhelming odds stacked against us in our mission. They might have been included for the countless players who would have joined by now. Regardless, there are numerous Zeds, and you must eliminate them all.

Exploring various sections of the level becomes appealing due to the inclusion of unused turrets, strategic traps, and hidden armor storage. These features encourage you to move around different spots. Despite this, you may still encounter bosses in the least noticeable areas, mainly for more space to dodge. Yet, the overall ambiance seems devoid of emotion or character.

Despite the abundance of tasks and activities, the storyline that ties everything together is remarkably thin and unengaging. The main objectives or assignments consist of visiting certain locations, gathering samples, activating switches, revisiting areas, performing virus analysis, waiting for further instructions, and either surviving or triumphing in a competition. However, I’ve never interacted with the voice on the radio, Cordelia, and beyond approaching objects and pressing ‘E’, I can’t discern the purpose of it all. It seems as though there might be a lack of substance to the narrative.

Tripwire seemed to aim for a solution that fitted their seasonal structure without restricting players’ flexibility in choosing when to play matches. In essence, brief cinematics or slightly animated cutscenes, along with tasks like “Complete X number of matches,” would have sufficed and avoided the unnecessary extra work.

In Killing Floor 3, you’ll find eight diverse maps that span different settings such as sewers, bustling city streets lined with towering skyscrapers, rooftops of these structures, military bases, radar stations, and more. While some of these locations might not stand out exceptionally, Tripwire has made an effort to give them a grittier look compared to their previous versions. For instance, darkness now shrouds the city streets, and there’s a significant increase in bloodshed throughout the environment, underscoring the brutal battles that the unfortunate victims must have endured against the Zeds’ fists, claws, and chainsaws. Architecturally speaking, these levels are well-designed, offering both long corridors ideal for luring Zeds into a firing range, as well as larger areas where your team can take a strategic stance.

Exploring various areas in the level offers numerous rewards such as dormant turrets, hidden traps, and armored storage units. This cycle encourages you to scout different spots. Regardless, you’ll likely encounter bosses in the least noticeable locations, mainly for better maneuverability while dodging. However, the ambiance lacks a sense of soul or emotion. It seems that the storyline, the design of these settings, or even the Zeds themselves contribute to this feeling, making it feel more like an arcade shooting game than a life-or-death struggle.

In essence, while Killing Floor 3 doesn’t lack incentives for you to battle for survival, issues arise before you even set foot on a map. The Stronghold, designed to house features such as mod crafting and skill unlocking, feels entirely unnecessary. It could be more convenient to manage these aspects through straightforward menus instead. The shooting range is intriguing, but it’s not helpful in demonstrating the impact of damage types on various Zeds or even testing melee weapons. If it was intended to serve as a social space for you and your friends, it would be acceptable if there were interesting features like mini-games or hidden treasures. Unfortunately, being transported back to the Stronghold every time I switch a Specialist is frustrating, especially since progress resets in this instance.

In simpler terms, the gameplay is quite good, but it doesn’t offer the option to choose the number of waves like Killing Floor 2 does, nor can you replace a Specialist if one role is missing from your team during specific modifier-heavy waves. If a wave increases Specialist Heat Damage, you’d better hope your weapon fires incendiary rounds or you have enough money to buy a heat weapon.

In the beginning, Killing Floor 3 seems to provide ample resources and level-ups, but as you progress through the levels, you need more Experience Points (XP), making higher difficulty settings necessary. While I could accept this, the rewards in terms of Proficiency gains don’t feel nearly as significant. This significantly diminishes the thrill of unlocking a new skill or upgrade.

As a gamer diving into this zombie-slaying action, let me tell you, it’s always fun to obliterate waves of Zeds and watch their body parts fly. The M.E.A.T. System certainly adds to the chaos, but the weapons…they leave something to be desired. The Vulcan TA’s charged shots, which should pack a punch powerful enough to level a city block, feel disappointingly weak compared to the Dragon’s Breath shotgun. And shotguns in general just don’t deliver the satisfying explosive force I’ve come to expect from games like Killing Floor 2. Assault rifles were a bit more enjoyable, though even the Knightsbridge felt more like an SMG with a bulky attachment rather than a proper LMG. As for the Ninja’s katanas, they seem to be slicing through nothing but air, unless it’s Scrakes or Fleshpounds they’re slashing (and even then, it barely feels like it).

Occasionally, particularly on challenging levels, the game Killing Floor 3 exhibits the intense combat against unyielding mobs that the series is renowned for. Powerful adversaries bursting through walls, Sirens overwhelming your senses, crawling Husks approaching menacingly, and so forth. However, this experience is marred by the Specialists and their constant chatter. It’s a shame because while some characters can be quite annoying with their frequent one-liners, even the less grating ones still have their fair share of bothersome remarks. If there are going to be so many voice lines, at least make them engaging or humorous and don’t deliver them so rapidly.

Surely, a drawback for the Specialists is inherent in their character traits. They possess unique abilities with recharge periods and specialized weapons tailored to their skills. By accumulating Proficiency Points and advancing levels, you can unlock additional skill choices and enhance them. Some intriguing options are available – such as headshots causing both fire and knockdown-inducing explosions – yet I find myself wishing that all the Perks were pooled together, allowing players to design their own custom builds instead.

Can I use two katanas as Firebug or a flamethrower as Medic but want to heal instead by masterfully deflecting attacks? How about reducing the damage dealt by flames to make my Medic even more versatile? I don’t mind if the abilities are locked behind levels or if I have to choose one perk from each tier, since it would make creating a custom build for each character more challenging. As of now, the Specialist system seems like it’s designed primarily to prolong gameplay by requiring players to grind through each character and their skills individually.

In no uncertain terms – grinding is a part of the experience in Killing Floor 3. At first glance, it seems that the game offers a decent amount of early materials and level-ups. However, as you progress through the levels, the required XP increases, leading to the necessity of playing on tougher difficulties. While I wouldn’t mind this, the Proficiency gains don’t feel nearly as significant, dampening any enthusiasm for acquiring a new skill or upgrade. Additionally, even the higher-level materials appear scarce and sporadic, particularly when it comes to upgrading mods, especially at the rarer tiers.

Given further refinement, enhanced gameplay feel, extra content, varied objectives across levels, and numerous other updates, it may one day be self-sufficient. Yet, in its current form, it often feels uninspiring compared to the elements that set Killing Floor 2 apart when it’s not a regression.

I enjoy using attachments because they have various advantages and disadvantages, with some significantly altering a weapon’s handling or offering perks like grenade launchers and shotguns. However, fully upgrading an attachment to unlock its passive bonus can be tedious, especially when the upgrade doesn’t seem to fit well with the weapon (is extra bash damage really necessary for my Incinerator M7?). If I don’t like how an attachment is functioning, I can recycle materials, but there’s no option to get back the Proficiency Points spent on customizing the build, which may limit the variety of options available.

In terms of art design, I’m not particularly fond, but Killing Floor 3’s settings provide some attractive visuals, notably with its lighting effects and reflective surfaces. Unfortunately, the game’s performance issues mar the experience. Lowering the settings to Medium at 1440p didn’t significantly enhance things, and the frame rate often falls below 60 FPS when six players are involved, even during lulls between waves. And, in the heat of battle or during chaotic moments, it can drop drastically. Additionally, there have been times where the game has frozen entirely before resuming play shortly afterwards.

In addition to various technical issues, there are unexpected glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as characters moving without heads or becoming stuck in their environment. Other problems include animation lag, incorrect hit boxes, sudden teleportation (slingshotting), level intros playing at inconvenient times, and a general sense of unfinished quality. The only standout aspect might be the soundtrack, but it seems underutilized.

If you’re in the mood for some chaotic action with lots of Zed head explosions, Killing Floor 3 could provide an enjoyable, uncomplicated experience. With further refinements, enhanced weapon feel, extra content, diverse objectives across waves, and numerous other upgrades, it might eventually become a solid game on its own. However, at this point, it falls short of the unique elements that made Killing Floor 2 stand out, potentially leaving you feeling exhausted rather than impressed.

This game was reviewed on PC.

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2025-07-29 16:19