Killing Floor Update Hands On

Oct 20, 2009

It's not news to anyone who's played the game that Killing Floor is dangerous. When you've got hordes of rampaging Zeds shambling towards you and you're the only one on your team left alive and find yourself running low of ammo, well, you start remembering that no one ever tried to eat your face off in a nice game of Peggle or NBA 2K10. Of course, those games don't give you the chance to jump online with your buddies and shoot zombified test subjects in the face.

Now that the game has been out for a few months, the developers at Tripwire Interactive are set to release a brand new free content pack called Level Up. The new pack is the largest free pack ever offered by Tripwire and it includes a number of noteworthy additions. Players will be getting three new maps, seven new weapons, a brand new perk class, an extra level for all perks, a new terrifying enemy and the first ever total conversion mod for the game, Defense Alliance 2. We've just played through all of the new maps and tried out the new perk and the new weapons and lived (sort of) to tell the tale.

The three new maps are each built around very compelling concepts. Bedlam takes place in an old abandoned asylum, which would be creepy enough by itself. On top of that, the asylum was recently the scene of a Halloween rave, so there are still lots of jack-o-lanterns and insane lights set up in the large common areas. The action here has a nice mix of tight corridors and large open areas so you'll want to think carefully about how you move and where you stand and fight.

The Wyre is set in the wooded hills of southern England. Players will start by a rather peaceful looking waterfall, but things soon turn horrific. The Zed will attack and push players deeper and deeper into the forests, eventually driving them towards an abandoned Horzine base. The base itself offers a bit of protection, and even a good view from the roof, but enemies will come hard and fast from multiple directions.

The final map in the update is the first winner in the recent custom map making competition, Killing Floor Grindhouse. Called Waterworks, this new map takes place in an abandoned pumping station. (Is everything abandoned in this world? Do we even need to keep saying that?) Like the other maps, this one moves from tight, restrictive areas to wide-open spaces. In this case, the map is dominated by a large pump room that offers lots of cover but also multiple points of entry.

When playing the original version of Killing Floor, many players found themselves accumulating lots of extra money and having nothing to spend it on in the later stages. Once you got the AK-47 or hunting shotgun, there was very little for players to do at the trader beyond simply repairing body armor and filling up clips and magazines. This new update introduces a new third-tier weapon at the top of each weapon group, so those extra dollars won't be going to waste.

The Support class now tops off with a fully automatic AA12 Auto Shotgun that chews through large groups of enemies in a terrifyingly short time. As great as it is, you'll definitely want to make sure you're watching your ammo because it's very easy to expend it all if you're not careful. Likewise, the Sharpshooter can try out the new M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle and benefit from its new laser designator, accessible by using the middle mouse button. On the Commando side, players trade in their AK-47 for a new SCAR Mk 17, which is, in my opinion at least, one of the most enjoyable weapons in the game.

By far the most inventive of the new weapons is the Medic's MP7 Medic Gun. To lessen the need for medics to be right next to their teammates in order to heal them, the developers have upgraded this standard machinegun to shoot healing darts built with Horzine technology. Having the chance to heal allies at a distance definitely gives the medic more options when the action starts to get intense.

An additional level has been added on top of each existing perk, so players who have topped out in their progress have a little room to grow again. When you reach that sixth level in your perk, you'll gain access to new enhancements and a brand new starting weapon.

The developers have also added an entirely new perk class, Demolition. This new perk allows players to fight at long range with all sorts of heavy firepower. Armed with the M79 Grenade Launcher or the semi-automatic M32 Multiple Grenade Launcher, the demolition specialist can deal out massive amounts of damage, provided their targets don't get too close. The Demolition perk also introduces new Proximity-triggered Pipe Bombs, which are very useful for setting traps when you're retreating or barricading yourself in a room.

As always, all of these weapons are available to players of all perks, but they're discounted if you happen be using the appropriate perk. To help smooth out the weapons buying experience, the developers are revamping the interface and incorporating smarter weapon grouping on the trader interface so you won't have to hunt for the guns that are assigned to your perk.

The really scary thing about the new update is the Husk. The new enemy is the result of Horzine researchers' attempts to create a ranged specimen. If it's not bad enough to have to worry about the Zeds coming along and biting your face off, now you have to worry about Zeds launching fireballs at you from across the room. It makes for a much less secure environment and forces you to rely more heavily on your sharpshooters and demolition experts.

To help round out the entire experience, the team has also added over 20 new Steam achievements associated with all the new additions.

Finally, the new update includes Defense Alliance 2, a brand new conversion mod. The original Defense Alliance was a team-based science fiction mod for Unreal Tournament and it's been resurrected in Killing Floor. The new version gives players the chance to choose from one of six different classes -- machine gunner, medic, mechanic, rocketeer, rifelman, and sniper -- and take part in team-based attack-and-defend scenarios. The usual sci-fi tropes are all in place here including turrets, EMP grenades, and rocket launchers. And if you need an alternative to the head-to-head action, there's even a survival mode that challenges a small group of players to hold out against waves of incoming enemies.

You can log onto Killing Floor and try out the new content for yourself this Thursday.