Since Tripwire Interactive released the first Killing Floor game in 200💖9, the series has slowly built a strong following. While Gears of War had been around for a few years with its iconic horde mode, and Call of Duty: World at War introduced zombies to the franchise for the first time in 2008, Killing Floor set the bar for horde-style shooters thanks to its varied perks system, arsenal, and flawless execution.

Video games where you need to survive waves of enemies, with regular breaks to buy weapons and upgrades after each round, were nothing new back in the day, but Killing Fl🌟oor’s refined experience and headbanging soundtrack made it unique. I remember spending dozens♓ of hours with my friends in high school just leveling up every available perk, becoming one with the classes of our choice, and finding the most efficient ways to defeat the boss of the final round in mere seconds. When we got tired of the fantastic official maps, we just started downloading every cool modded level we could find. Our fascination with Killing Floor wasn’t ending anytime soon.

Last year, Killing Floor 3 was annou♑nced. I watched its trailer during Gamescom’s 2023 Opening Night Live and my sincere reaction was, ‘oh, nice, another one,’ and then I moved onto the next trailer without much thought. I only played Killing Floor 2 for a couple of hours when it launched; I just didn’t feel it. That old group of friends didn’t exist anymore. I was only close with one of them anymore, and a second was the type of friend you send messages to once a year to know that they are alive and call it a day. I haven’t known about the whe🌞reabouts of the other two for almost a decade now.

Sixteen years later, in 2024, I got the chance tꩵo sit down with Tripwire Interactive and play a match of Killing Floor 3 for the first time at Gamescom. As creative director Brya💃n Wynia explains the new changes in the third entry, I select the classic Commando class and start eliminating every Zed (the signature mutated-enemy of the series) that comes my way.

After one round, I start to feel that the weapons are as responsive as ever, and the environments and the enemies look impressive for an alpha, with a ridiculous amount of detail in how you can cut limbs from the monsters, revealing flesh and bones as you deal more damage. This goes well with a clean and effective HUD showing everything you need to know at all times, like how many enemies remain. The gameplay loop is the same as always: move around a map with multiple paths an♛d areas, refill your ammo or buy new equipment when the round is finished, and spend a few seconds setting traps and getting ready. Do all of this while some heavy metal tunes are playing in the background and you prepare to see the classic Zeds revamped for the future with cybernetic implants.

At first, I felt unfortunate to be playing this game alone, as I rarely did with the original, but Wynia explained that a few additions made the experience more approachable if you are playing by yourself this time around. For example, each of the Specialists (the replacement of the class/perk system) has a unique🎃 gadget that works like an ultimate from a hero shooter. You fill a bar and you can activate a special power that usually cleans the screen. The Commando can deploy a drone that goes ballistic and starts chopping every Zed in your surroundings.

While this gadget was really strong, I didn’t feel like it would break the game’s balance – I couldn’t use it in every round be𒁃cause I wouldn’t fill the bar that quickly, so I had to keep it for the best occasions. The same applies to another new device that let me activate traps, like automatic sentry turrets. This was powerful, but the turret didn’t operate for long and this device couldn’t be used more than three times – I couldn’t recharge it while I was in the middle of a wave.

The new mod weapons system is another change that Wynia and the team feel very proud of, as it seems like i꧂t will let players use their favorite weapons the way they want. It gets rid of the classic and straightforward perk system for a more robust mechanic that allows you to try🔴 different combinations with your gun for each situation you face.

I couldn’t try this in depth and see all of the mods available due to limited time, but as you explore the store between rounds, you can see a streamlined version of the system, with a tab showing some pre-defined options for your current weapon. I quickly got improved recoil, a slower but stronger fire rate, and a better sight for my assault rifle. The Specialist you choose doesn’t restrict your arsenal as you can purchase every single weapon, so it will be a matter of ꦰtime to see what interesting and ridiculous combinations veteran players can come up with.

As I’m about to reach the final round – and miserably die before facing the boss – I find a few more small changes, like the chance to use a zip-line in certain spots and being able to perform a brutal melee kill on stunned enemies — ju𝄹st like in Doom (2016) and Eternal. These are welcomed additions that help with the pacing of the combat and the traversal of the map, which could introduce new strategies or just keep things fresh.

However, what really makes me happy about Killing Floor 3 is that it still feels like Killing Floor. It’s the same old and simple formulaꩵ. It’s not trying to be anything else. I used to love playing every iteration of Call of Duty Black Ops for the zombies modes, but at some point the series lost its edge and became an unnecessarily complex caricature of what it once was. It doesn’t feel like it will be the same case for Killing Floor 3, with its new changes but the same polish and visceral gameplay that made it popular in the first place. It might be time 🐻to see if I can call my friends back.