2016 has been the redemption year for shooters. Blizzard proved they could make their mark with Overwatch, Gears of War and Titanfall came back in style, and Battlefield 1 was the proper mix of old and new we all wanted. Killing Floor 2, on the other hand, has less time to flourish. It’s releasing at the tail-end of the year, and is building off a game that only explored it’s true potential in small chunks. But with a boosted budget and team, has the case finally been proven?
Gameplay:
Unless you’ve got a weak stomach, Killing Floor 2 bars a great sense of accessibility. Zombies are typically easy to kill, but this difficulty is upgraded when the game increases the sheer size of them. For those that crave this frantic style in their shooters, stop what you’re doing and purchase Killing Floor 2.
Killing Floor 2 also has some diversity, but not in the ways you’d expect. You can play as particular zombies (although this aspect doesn’t feel fully fleshed out) in one mode, which leads to moments a bit more tense than the main package. I could nitpick this some more, but the true focus should be placed on what Killing Floor 2’s meant to provide.
Story & Design:
In this case, it’s a good sense of flow. All wave based games fall apart without this, since tedium and monotony quickly strikes. Killing Floor 2 shows some strength here, but also has many irregularities, such as a lopsided progression system, which doesn’t make the game as fun as it could be.
Gunplay is more appropriately constructed, and even weapons you don’t want to use still do the job well. Added slow motion effects further increase these sensations, and actually set back some of the game’s apparent flaws. You could call it a cheap gimmick, but I never considered it that way, since it always pauses the chaos without sacrificing the gameplay.
Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:
Killing Floor 2 isn’t settling for narrative substance, but what it does hope to accomplish is a field of carnage. Presentation-wise, this is truly set, with decapitation, combustion, and other forms of general violence grasping the most twisted detail. The game’s characters don’t have the same pizzazz/pop, but the attention to the zombies still made me continue with glee.
Killing Floor 2 also has great difficulty settings, fitting micro-transactions, good value, and nice menu systems scattered through it’s presentation as-well. For those invested, it’s the icing on the cake, while others will still enjoy to see such representation, especially in a game of this caliber. On this front, there aren’t a whole lot of complaints.
Conclusion:
Killing Floor 2 doesn’t revolutionize the horde genre, but it’s a definitive way to produce a sequel for a once thought bare-bones franchise. I hope that Playstation 4 gamers jump on this title after they get bored of Battlefield 1 or Overwatch, as it’s nice to have a more mindless, but still fun FPS.
Killing Floor 2 gets a 8/10 (Very Good)
We’d like to thank Tripwire Interactive for giving us a code!
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