Tripwire Interactive are back with their over-the-top, frenetic zombie FPS series Killing Floor, this time with the freshly released undead mayhem simulator Killing Floor 3. Leaning even further into science fiction with the newly designed aesthetic and adding impressive quality-of-life upgrades, the game still manages to retain the fun of the favored formula. From the many hours I’ve already sunk into the title, I can already tell that this will be one of my favorite multiplayer shooters of the year!
Much like the previous entries in the series, KF3 finds players linking up in multiplayer squads as various operators, each with their own unique weapon proficiency, branching skills to level, and powerful ultimate abilities that always manage to turn the tide of battle. This time however, players are provided with a home base of sorts, complete with an armory for loadout and detailed weapon customization, a workbench that allows for the development and evolution of useful experimental weapon modifications using collected resources from deployments, as well as a shooting range for testing out freshly customized firearms.
A command hub has also been added, providing zombie slayers a location to select missions, review challenges, and alter the difficulty before deploying into the field. There’s also a section of the base that allows players to monitor their progress and collect rewards based on their performance such as cosmetics and profile accessories, plus there are a ton of interactive items around the environment that provide tutorial knowledge for the many mechanics used in gameplay, and there are even some little bedrooms to house up to six individual operators in a single lobby and a decorative video game console to add some gamer flavor to the waiting room experience.
The innovative horde shooter has taken a step back from the past realism of modern weaponry in favor of a more futuristic and science fiction focused aesthetic, though the armory holds a cheeky easter egg that implies the obvious; this game will definitely be getting a ton of new seasonal maps, weapons, cosmetics and challenges, as is customary for the series.
With that said, the starting weapons on offer are nothing to scoff at, ranging from close quarters focused ninja swords and automatic shotguns to sniper rifles, flame throwers, grenade launchers, assault rifles, and so much more. Though the game can be enjoyed solo, the true beauty lies in teaming up with a group that are all playing as different operators with complementary fighting styles, skill sets, and ultimate abilities, to form a truly cohesive unit of zed slaughtering professionals.
One of my personal favorite additions to the game, apart from the in-depth weapon customization, is the inclusion of missions within each level. Yes, there were collectibles and easter eggs in previous releases and those were fun in their own right, but now there are full-fledged missions for the player to undertake such as collecting mutated samples, burning bodies, scanning cargo, and other various odds and ends that add a touch of immersion to the bloody carnage that ensues.
While shooting, slashing, burning, and blowing to bits the ravenous waves of mindless mutants, there is a carefully curated soundtrack that combines hardcore industrial metal, aggressive electronic, atmospheric horror tracks, and intense combat themes to create an atmosphere of overwhelming power and player prowess akin to modern DOOM soundtracks, without neglecting the fact that at any given time the players are in potentially grave danger if they slip up.
Something else I found to be especially fun in Killing Floor 3 is the incredibly useful multi-tool. I made sure to keep my engineer stocked as I ran around the field of death and destruction, activating automated gun-turrets, building and utilizing overhead zip-lines to rain fire down on the masses of twisted flesh and blood, setting traps for unsuspecting mini-bosses, and opening shortcuts for the team so we wouldn’t get backed into a corner.
The multi-tool is only one of many unique gadgets that players can take into the field, with others allowing for blocking doors, healing teammates, resupplying ammunition, and so much more. All of these utility gadgets, coupled with the unique sets of weapons and abilities of each operator, create for a varied and synergistic experience that makes dominating the zeds and the evil corporation Horzine more fun than ever. Players are also able to level up much more quickly than in the previous titles, which means earlier access to powerful skills and ability upgrades.
The operators aren’t just skins anymore! They each have specialized roles that benefit the team in one way or another and allow players to develop a playstyle that best suits their preferences when engaging in missions. As I previously indicated, I selected the burly, bearded engineer with his shoulder-mounted sonic boom box that blasts beasts into bits with the power of obnoxiously loud sound waves, in what is perhaps the coolest ultimate ability I’ve seen in a game in years.
I’ve also witnessed other players summon powerful rings of fire to scorch anything in a twenty-foot radius, activate acid launching drones to buzz around the battlefield, go invisible for up-close melee murder, insta-heal the squad with a medical pulse, and even gain long-range precision during particularly difficult boss encounters.
Speaking of boss encounters… oh wow. The standard enemy variety is great as usual and includes a handful of science fiction body modifications to the Scrakes, Clots, and the rest of the crew of creeps that fans of the series are familiar with dismembering, adding a level of body horror and new surprise attack mechanics from some of the series’ favorite foes. With that said, they have nothing on the bosses. Each one that I have encountered so far has been meaner and tougher than the last. Some of the larger enemies will even tear doors off their hinges and smash through walls like a fleshy wrecking ball!
Every boss has its own pathing and attack protocol, an insane health bar, and enough aggression and blind confidence to tear through an entire squad in a few seconds flat. At the end of one survival wave, three bosses appeared at once, like terrible triplets from Hell, they descended upon my team, and I was the lone survivor as they smashed and shredded everyone within moments, leaving me to run for cover and hunker down behind my last two turrets, emptying every bullet from my magazines and grenade from my pouch until I was left with nothing but my combat knife and my nerve.
The combat and movement are incredibly smooth in KF3. From mantling over obstacles, zipping through the air on a freshly launched line, and sustaining automatic fire while sliding on the ground through a crowd of crawlers, to precision shots thanks to select fire options for specific weapons, customizable optics and other various weapons attachments, and the tremendous ability to purchase a personalized weapon loadout from the vendor once enough dosh has been earned, allowing for total combat freedom.
The fluidity of the gunplay in particular was astonishing to me. Each weapon type has its own set of pros and cons that create a legitimate set of dilemmas when deciding on a loadout for specific stages. Do I want something long-range but slow? Should I take something balanced? Will I need more power for this encounter? All of which serve their purpose expertly and satisfyingly thump, bang, zip, and rattle out rounds and all manner of elemental ammunition in a glorious firework show of guts, gore, and gunpowder!
Regardless of the slight changes to the formula and the major changes in terms of operator roles, player customization and mission objectives, the game still retains its old-school shooter charm. It’s fast-paced, pulse-pounding, exciting, inventive, and a treat for the senses due to its crazy soundtrack and massive amounts of creature carnage.
It holds onto that classic wave-based combat that made the game, and others like it, so incredibly popular and beloved. Sure, they added a little more depth, which I believe many will appreciate, but they didn’t lose sight of what made the series so special. The creative team at Tripwire knew what they were doing with this one, and they didn’t compromise or hold back on making their vision for the future of the franchise a rockin’, ripping, reality that is fun for single-player and multiplayer gamers alike!
I’m giving Killing Floor 3 my official score of 9/10 and would recommend it to anyone that is a fan of wave-based shooters like Call of Duty Zombies or Rockay Rumble, over-the-top action horror, great co-op experiences, and frankly FPS games in general. It’s a really good time and it’s more than worth the price of admission. The studio really understands what their players want, they listen to feedback, they will assuredly deliver consistent content updates, and the game will certainly only get better from here. Do yourself a favor and check it out now!
*Update 9/1/2025* My buddy Ben from Everything Nerd finally got the opportunity to play, and had this to share about his experience:
“Killing Floor 3 is genuinely a brutal, blood-gurglingly fun and chaotic game, which shouldn’t surprise fans as this is the common theme of the franchise. From an arms depot to a sewer, you’re gunning down, slashing, and tearing away at the Zeds that come to throw themselves at you with disdain and little remorse whilst doing so. Expect non-stop fun and carnage as you soak your hands in red.
My favourite character had to be Foster the Commando, who, funny enough, was as British as I am with his witty humour and distasteful one-liners. It hit close to home as he reminded me a little of myself; shocker, huh? But that’s what gives the game its personality. It had me grinning ear to ear and ready to rip into new foes with my assault rifle bullets burning holes through them!
However, I did also have fun using Nakata the Ninja, using his sword, slicing and dicing my way through foes, taking no steps back and using forward momentum to carry my trusty sword forward through undead flesh! All the characters in KF3 have desirable skills to use, but some must be used as a team, rather than a solo game, as I found out whilst playing Ninja on my own, and I was getting torched by the scrakes, who returned the favour by taking me apart.
Killing floor 3 is easily a 9/10 for me. However, the only stopping point for me is that as you venture across the modes and maps, it easily falls into a repetitive cycle that can lead the gamer to get bored. However, it will always draw you back in for more as it did me, because as much as I love playing make believe in a fantasy land, I also want to relax by splitting heads and severing zed limbs! Yeah, I said relax… Get this game into your library and fast! Or any of the Killing Floors, because all three are as brutal as the next.”
Killing Floor 3 is available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Epic Games Store!
