It may seem that the dead have risen a few too many times in recent gaming news. The past few years been laden with all manner of zombie themed survival-horrors, beat-em-ups, shooters, mods, etc. However, Tripwire Interactive plans to revitalize the nearly exhausted genre this year with its return-to-roots, ultraviolent, zombie horde shooter Killing Floor 2 for PC, Linux, Steam OS, and PS4. This successor to Tripwire’s Killing Floor (2012) takes a no-nonsense approach to satisfying gunplay and promising adrenaline-pumping action with its focus on “bullets, blades, and blood.”
Mowing Down the Horde
KF2 will pit players and co-op parties of up to six against hordes of zombie-like monsters referred to as “zeds.” Players will be able to upgrade weapons, purchase ammunition, and recover health by spending in-game currency at shops between waves. Several playable characters, each with unique perks and strengths, will keep parties diverse and encourage collective play-styles for survival.
Developers have gone to great lengths to create realistic, authentic gunplay, including utilizing motion capture technology to help reproduce the look and feel of weapons. Guns will feature true-to-life rates of fire as well as multiple reload and quick reload animations.
The typical stock of assault rifles, submachine guns, flamethrowers, katanas, bats, and grenades will stack alongside makeshift, historic, and sci-fi weaponry for an brutalizing, eclectic armory.
Zombie Gorefest
Developers sought to up the experience with intense new gore system. Zed models will feature 22 points of dismemberment; arms, legs, spines, guts, and heads will all be fair game and, for the most part, destructible. Blood effects will be dynamic and persistent with spilled blood staining environments through entire matches. Much like in the the first Killing Floor, dismemberment kills will trigger a momentary bullet-time for all players. KF2’s gorefest will be appropriately accompanied by an original soundtrack of metal, hard rock, and industrial tunes, performed by established bands Impending Doom, Zynthetic, Demon Hunter, Rocky Gray, and more.
“When there’s no more room in hell, the dead with walk the earth.
With great confidence, Tripwire interactive are taking their successful gameplay formula and making it bigger, better, and with greater variety. Killing Floor 2 looks to be a promising follow up to 2012’s Killing Floor. Stay tuned as we await the title’s official release date.