In the last few years, zombies seem to be popping out of every corner. Not literally of course, I'm speaking of the exorbitant amounts of zombie media being jammed down consumers' throats. It seems to me not a month goes by that there isn't a new zombie game released, or movie, or expansion, or patch... This being the case, it was surprising a game like Killing Floor caught my eye.
Tripwire describes their game as a “Cooperative Survival Horror”. I like all those words, especially when put together. The synergistic effects of the combination sent me into a heated, passionate fury. When I came to, I found the game installed on my computer, all of my banana pudding eaten, and twenty dollars deducted from my bank account. “But Andy”, a friend so earnestly inquired, “You just finished Left 4 Dead not even a month ago. Could this new game possibly compare with Valve's zombie slaying masterpiece?” A fair question, one which I'm sure many Pixelnauts readers have. It is a question which I intend to answer.
Killing Floor is a relatively simple game. Providing few levels, limited zombie types, and the same boss fight for each map. The game's uncomplicated nature might first give the impression of a faulted game due to the its lack of content, but on the contrary, it is actually a prime component to its addictive nature.
The game flow is as follows: kill a wave of zombies, find the trader, purchase new weapons, then fight a larger wave of zombies. Each progressive horde will be slightly larger, and new zombie types will be introduced to the fray.
The game has a number of unique qualities, especially in the multi-player fps world. For instance, character growth in a online fps is almost unheard of. This is mostly because of balancing issues. Balancing skill and balancing level upgrades can become cumbersome. If you’ve got some high leveled player going around stomping on the lower level players, you’ll have some strongly worded forums. However, since no player vs. player element exists in Killing Floor, character leveling is possible!
The character traits, or perks as their called in game, consist of six classes: Medic, Sharpshooter, Support Specialist, Commando, Berserker, and Firebug. You may select one at the beginning of each session, and switch between classes at the start of each round. Every perk has individual experience bars with certain criteria to earn points. Sharpshooters gain exp. for head shots with certain guns; Berserkers gain exp. for melee damage, etc… The experience counts no matter which perk you have chosen, so all those players you healed while you were out of ammo will count toward your medic perk later on.
The ability to switch perks mid game allows players to adjust their for the best strategic combination. Rarely will a player stick with a single class the entire game, but will switch from perk to perk depending on what the team is currently lacking.
As I mentioned before, this game is small, but allows its size to work toward its advantage. With fewer aspects to the game, fewer mistakes can be made and most of the game's content is spot on. It's the difference between a simple game done correctly, and a large game, with many elements, crafted poorly...
For those still wondering whether or not Killing Floor is a Left 4 Dead clone, I will state my answer as a basic math equation.
Killing Floor = Left 4 Dead + More.
In other words, Killing Floor simply has more to bring to the table: tighter controls, a higher variety of zombies, bigger and better guns, a class system, levels... Not to mention Killing Floor is only twenty dollars. Left 4 Dead might have been more cinematic, but we're not playing a movie; we're playing a video game. For anybody looking to play a new survival coop with a group of friends, or even by themselves, Killing Floor is a zombie slaying delight.
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