What is Killing Floor All About?
If you love watching sci-fi movies and series like us, then we know that you have probably seen all sorts of scenarios where biotech companies make a mistake that turns the world upside down. And you have likely wondered how this would play out if an actual company did that. Well, Killing Floor takes this curiosity and turns it into an action-packed experience.
How it Started
It all starts when a biotech company, known as Horzine, makes a mess. What had initially been a military experiment results in the release of cloned super-soldiers into the world who cause mayhem. Horrified, Horzine assembles survivors to clean up its mess, which is where you come in as the player. While we stated that this is more of a team activity, the game actually allows you to choose whether you want to do this alone or with others in a group of up to 6 people. Having tried both versions, we highly recommend being a team player, and we will explain why in the next sections.
But Who Are You Fighting?
Unlike most games that use zombies as enemies, Killing Floor features Zeds. And these creatures range based on size and abilities, such that they get bigger and more powerful as you progress in the game.
On the smaller side, we have the clots, crawlers, cysts, and stalkers. Clots are the easiest to eliminate because they just hold on to you and keep you in place, which means that if you can avoid them, then you are safe. Crawlers are plain creepy. They look like spiders, and it does not help that they are fast and attack in swarms - cysts also do that! And stalkers are just as bad as the name implies, because they just sneak up on you out of nowhere - again, this is why having someone on your side is a huge plus.
For the medium-sized zeds, you’ve got the gorefasts, bloats, and husks. As a team, we have voted on this so many times and always agree that the bloats are the worst. After all, what is worse than a creature that vomits bile and explodes into acid as it dies? From the medium zeds, you move on to the large one, aka the mini bosses, and these include the scrakes, fleshbounds, and quarter pounds. As double quarter-pounder lovers, we have a bias for the quarter pounds.
And at the very end, you get to fight the actual bosses. These include the patriarch, who is the original boss. Then, you also get to meet the Hans Volter, the King Fleshpound, and the Mire Zeds. Those last ones are only available in Killing Floor 3, and we are still getting the hang of exploiting their weaknesses. For example, the Mire Clot hates the cold and electricity.
But you get the gist. These zeds attack in different ways and come with different special abilities.
Understanding the Perk System
Given the varied nature of zeds, it is quite hard to have all the arsenal you need to not only watch out for them but also eliminate them once they show up if you are playing alone. After all, who will watch your back if a stalker creeps up on you? What about when the crawlers appear, and you are running low on ammo? These and more scenarios can be overwhelming to any player.
But that is precisely why this game offers you the chance to be part of a team. And just like with any efficient team, everyone serves a different role. Your job is to pick a character with a given perk, also known as class, from the following options:
- The commando - if you are all about assault rifles, this is the job for you, as you are tasked with spotting enemies and mowing them down.
- The support specialist - your work is to man the shotguns, and you are also able to carry extra ammo to share with the team.
- The field medic - you work as the team healer who safeguards everyone’s health on the team.
- The berserker - you are essentially the tank whose job is to stand at the front with weapons and also serve as a barrier.
- The sharpshooter - if you love taking out threats from a vantage point, you will enjoy this sniper role.
- The demolitionist - from grenades to C4, you get to handle all sorts of explosives in order to clear groups or attack the larger zeds.
- The firebug - this is the right fit for you if using flamethrowers feels like it is right up your alley.
- The gunslinger - if you think that working with pistols is fun, you will enjoy the opportunity to take down zeds with revolvers.
- The SWAT - you may never get to be in the actual SWAT, but you can be a submachine gun specialist in this game.
- The survivalist - you get to be the jack-of-all-trades who can adapt to different roles based on what the team needs.
Because nobody can serve all roles at once, you have no option but to rely on each other as you fight the zeds, which is part of all the fun. After all, nothing beats knowing that if you come across a Fleshpound, you have a demolitionist with you, and if you get sick, the medic will fix you up in no time.
But here is the thing you have to remember - you can only choose one perk at a time. Since there are more than 6 roles, but teams have a maximum number of 6 players, it means that you have to avoid choosing overlapping roles so that you can cover all your bases as a team. The good thing is that if you stick to your role, your perks increase over time, and you can land other special abilities over time. It is all about finding the right balance as a team and investing in your role.
Riding the Waves
One of the things we love about Killing Floor is how well the matches are set up. Since they follow a specific flow, you know what to expect from start to finish, but that does not make the rounds predictable at all. So, what can you expect?
The Prep
You join the game alone or in a group, and this is when you choose your perk, as we discussed before. You also get to vote on the map you will use, and once everyone has agreed, you all spawn.
The initial spawning features basic gear for your chosen class. For example, if you are the medic, you can spawn with just a syringe! But don’t let that worry you because you get access to more items during the waves. However, to do that, you have to meet the game’s objective, which is to survive all the waves of Zeds until you get the chance to defeat the final boss.
The Waves
Each game features anything from 7 to 10 waves in most cases. But this can vary based on the difficulty level and the game settings. In each wave, the number of Zeds increases, as does their abilities. In the early waves, you come across the fodder Zeds like the stalkers and clots. Then, these change to tougher ones like the husks and bloats before paving the way for the mini bosses in the late waves.
As soon as each game starts, a number of Zeds spawn. As a team, you must find a spot where you will hold out, be it a corner or a room with few entrances. Your goal is to defend it because the Zeds will come at you.
Now, this is where teamwork comes into play as you must all work together to cover your chokepoints and protect each other. Medics ensure that you all stay alive, the damage dealers like the sharpshooters focus their energy on the big Zeds, and the crowd controllers, like SWAT, clear the swarms. It is very important to keep the lines of communication clear so that you can all understand what the other person needs before things take a turn for the worse. We won’t lie. It tends to get chaotic with people going ‘Scrake on the left’ or ‘I just ran out of ammo!’
And with attacks coming at you from every which way, it is possible to make costly mistakes, like wandering off or failing to cover your teammates. These instances can leave you or your team exposed. If you die during a wave, you are automatically kicked out and come in as a spectator until the wave ends, which is absolutely no fun. Unfortunately, being down a player puts the team at a disadvantage. If they are unable to make up for this deficit and the whole team dies, then the match ends, and you have to go back to the start. So, whatever you do, try not to die and also protect the people on your team.
The Trader Time
As we said before, you start the game with the bare basics. But in between one wave and the other, you get a 60-second break where you can turn things around. A minute may seem like an extremely short break. However, its length comes down to how well you capitalize on it.
Within this time, you can visit the Trader Pod, where you can buy weapons and ammo. It is also the time to seek the medic, liaise with your team, upgrade your weapons, and do everything possible to give yourself a better fighting chance before the next wave.
This time is not only about bettering yourself. Since your team affects how well you hold up in the battle, you also need to help your teammates. Players often share money at this time to ensure that everyone can afford better weapons. You can just throw the cash at them - with everyone running helter-skelter, this is actually considered polite.
Before, we said that you can only choose one perk at a time and that the abilities increase as you level up. But that does not mean that your perk is set in stone. If you wish, you can always use the Trader Time to change your perks. Though we should add, this is only a good idea if you have levelled up the perk in previous games. If not, you go back to the basics at a time when you are about to face bigger and meaner Zeds, which is not exactly ideal. Trust us - we have made these rookie mistakes and learned the hard way.
The Final Boss
Once you have completed all the normal waves, the big boss appears. The type of boss depends on the game and can range from King Scrake down to Hans Volter. Honestly, it is this unpredictability that makes the game so exciting.
With the bosses, it is not a one-and-done situation. Not only do they have unique abilities, such as draining your health, but they can also retreat to heal and come back stronger. So, killing them is not a walk in the park, yet you have to do it before they take out the whole of your team. As you can imagine, this is the toughest wave that tests your abilities as an individual and as a team.
The End
Having come to the final wave and lost to the bosses, we know how it goes - you have no option but to start again. But if you defeat the boss, that is a cause for celebration! You see, you get rewards such as XP to level up your perk, as well as currency, which you use within the game.
How Difficult is Survival?
Killing Floor games vary when it comes to difficulty. But who gets to call the shots on how much work you have to put in to avoid becoming a spectator? It all depends on who starts the game. If it is a private or hosted game, then the player in charge chooses the difficulty when setting up the game. Where the game is on a public server, then the server administrator determines the level, and players cannot change this. For solo games, you can choose what works for you.
So, which levels are available?
Beginner
This level is only available in Killing Floor 1 and is considered to be a training mode. We advise using this as your gateway into the game because you can learn without the pressure of having a whole team relying on you to be at your best. The zeds here tend to be very weak and slow. And even when they attack, you barely feel it. So, you get the hang of how the game works and what to expect when you finally come face-to-face with the creatures.
Normal
Both Killing Floor 1 and Killing Floor 2 have this mode, which is perfect for new players or even pros who want a casual game. The Zeds have average health and speed, and they tend to cause standard damage, which you can recover from quite easily. At this stage, team effort is not that mandatory, such that even if you drop the ball, your team can make it through the waves without you.
Hard
Things get quite thick in this mode, which you can find in both Killing Floor 1 and Killing Floor 2. As the name implies, the Zeds are usually out to get you, and they tend to be bigger, more in numbers, and more resilient to attacks. For these reasons, teams must coordinate with each other because if one person is not pulling their weight, surviving the harder waves becomes quite difficult.
Suicidal
From the name, you can tell that this level is not a joke. Zeds here tend to be so aggressive that playing alone is next to impossible. After all, they are faster, much tougher, and come at you with all sorts of tactics. A Scrake that used to take its time with enraging now enrages as soon as it sees you. This level is pure chaos, and it demands that you all be in sync; else, you will barely make it past a few waves.
Hell on Earth
If you have ever wondered what bewilderment feels like, we recommend trying this level. Truth be told, with zeds at their peak in all aspects, only the most experienced and coordinated teams stand a chance at taking out the big boss.
With all these options in perks, difficulty, and maps, you can always find a unique take in this game.