If you haven’t had enough co-op shooters, zombies or some mix of the two, Tripwire Interactive’s Killing Floor 3 could fill that gap. It’s available on July 24th for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 for $39.99, and promises significant improvements over its predecessor alongside new locations, weapons, and more. Though it appeared fairly promising, the response to its closed beta earlier this year prompted the developer to delay the release and implement improvements.
Several tests, including recent stress tests, have since occurred, and thus far, it looks promising (or at least, better than before). Whether it can dethrone Killing Floor 2 remains to be seen, but in the meantime, here are 15 things you should know before buying Killing Floor 3.
Futuristic Setting
Killing Floor 3’s biggest shift is that it takes place in the future. Set in 2091, 70 years after the second game, the world is pretty much in ruins thanks to the Zeds manufactured by Horzine. As the resistance group Nightfall, it’s your job to stop them, taking on missions and neutralizing Zeds across various locations.
Maps
There will be eight locations available at launch, including the Radar Station and recently revealed Sewers. In response to feedback from the first closed beta, Tripwire has performed extensive work on the visuals, overhauling the lighting and bloodying up the environments. The futuristic sheen should feel a lot less clean at launch, and the same goes for characters and weapons, which will have a grittier look.
Difficulty Levels
Of course, each mission can be tackled on multiple difficulty levels, from the relatively straightforward Normal to Hell on Earth. Higher difficulties will toss more enemies that can dish out the pain and fight much more relentlessly. You also need to account for more health on Zeds and less Dosh earned per wave. With complaints about Normal difficulty enemies feeling a bit too spongy, it should be interesting to see how Tripwire balances them in time for launch.
Enemy Types
Several familiar Zed types return in Killing Floor 3, though they’ve been given some enhancements to align with their biomechanical forms. The Scrake still has a chainsaw arm but can now grapple players from afar with the other. The Siren’s neck extends, and its head opens up when emitting sonic blasts, which means you’ll need to be quick to neutralize it. Following the closed beta, Tripwire has made several improvements to how certain enemies react. For example, the Bloat will now block headshots and even has new melee attacks if you get too close.
Bosses
When you’ve cleared out all the waves of Zeds, it’s time to face the boss. Thus far, we’ve seen three – the Queen Crawler, which spawns little Crawlers to attack you; the Impaler, a brawny creature with mechanical arms and a blade protruding from its head; and the Chimera, an amalgamation of Zeds, which mutates as you continuously damage it. Of course, there are likely other bosses to be revealed, so expect even more horrors.
Weapons
If you’ve played the previous games, then Killing Floor 3’s arsenal will look familiar with submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and more available to choose from. Some unique weapons are also available, including a bow, flamethrower, grenade launcher, etc. While Specialists can utilize every weapon, some are better suited for certain types than others based on their skills (more on that shortly). Following the uproar over recoil in the beta, Tripwire has gone through and redone the same for all weapons, right down to the different firing modes. It should now be more in line with previous titles.
Crafting Mods
Mods will significantly modify the behavior of weapons, from damage type to attachments like silencers, extended magazines, firing modes, etc. Originally, you would have to discover the mod schematic as a random mission drop and then craft it using different resources. Following the latest stress test, all mods can now be crafted – no schematics required, though you’ll still need materials.
Zed Time
It wouldn’t be a Killing Floor game without Zed Time. Essentially Bullet Time, with everything moving in slow motion, Zed Time also highlights Zeds. A mix of style and substance, it can often be helpful for landing shots on weak points. If you didn’t enjoy how it looked during the beta, don’t worry, as it’s being re-tuned to more closely resemble previous titles.
Specialists
Specialists are essentially different playable characters with unique skills and perks that cater to a variety of playstyles. So, if you want to set things on fire, go with The Firebug. Their weapons will often leverage their skills, and each possesses a unique personality and banter (which you can turn off in combat).
Skills
Each Specialist has three skill trees: Passives, Throwable and Gadget. Unlocking and improving these requires Proficiency Points, and you’ll have to choose between multiple skills in the same tier (which are locked behind specific levels), though you can also upgrade a single skill up to three times. The choices can range from increased ammo and armor integrity to a chance to trigger explosions on destroying enemy heads with Ballistic damage. While you can’t select any Skill as any Specialist currently, Tripwire will implement the feature at some point post-launch.
Supply Pass
Similar to Helldivers 2’s Warbonds, the Supply Pass in Killing Floor 3 is divided into pages of rewards. There are 100 in total, all cosmetics ranging from outfits to trinkets and weapon skins. A Supply Pass costs $10 and best of all, it doesn’t expire, allowing you to earn rewards at your own pace, and a free track is also available.
PC Requirements
Those playing on PC will need only 20 GB of installation space (albeit on an SSD). The minimum requirements include Windows 10, AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Intel Core i7-4790, 16 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 1060 or a Radeon RX 480. Recommended requirements include Windows 11, a Ryzen 7 7700X or Core i9700k, 16 GB RAM, and a Radeon RX 6750 XT or GeForce RTX 3060. However, it’s important to note the quality – minimum specs provide an upscaled 1080p and 30 FPS target on low settings with “traditional lighting.” Recommended specs allow for an upscaled 1440p and 60 FPS target at Medium to High settings with Lumen GI and reflections.
Console Resolutions and Frame Rates
PS5 and Xbox Series X players can look forward to a targeted 1440p resolution, upscaled via Temporal Super Resolution, and 60 frames per second with HDR support. Series S players only 1080p/60 FPS under the same conditions, while PS5 Pro players can look forward to an upscaled 1800p resolution. All of these resolutions are dynamic, though, likely to maintain the 60 FPS target.
Crossplay
Killing Floor 3 supports cross-platform play on day one, but you can also choose to turn it off. Cross-progression hasn’t been confirmed – Tripwire only noted that you can’t transfer stats between platforms – and it’s unknown whether it could arrive later. Even with co-op available, solo and offline play is still available.
Post-Launch Support
With how long Killing Floor 2 was supported, it’s unsurprising that Tripwire will opt for the same approach with Killing Floor 3. It confirmed that new Specialists, perk archetypes, weapons, maps and updates to the gameplay will be released for free post-launch. You can also expect seasons that will add new assignments (with rewards) and expand on the Nightfall’s battle against Horzine.
