Killing Floor is a cooperative survival first-person shooter game powered by the Unreal Engine 2.5. Developed and published by Tripwire Interactive, Killing Floor was first released as a mod in 2005 for Unreal Tournament 2004. In its early stages, the mod became popular after appearing in game magazines. The Mod version of Killing Floor had its final official fifth update in July 2008.

The full retail version of Killing Floor was announced in March 2009 and released on the 14th of May, 2009 on Steam. Killing Floor uses a Heavily Modified version of Unreal Engine 2.5, which is originally a game engine developed by Epic Games.

Killing Floor is a cooperative survival horror first-person shooter based on Co-op Multiplayer. The game offers a Solo-Single player mode, and an online cooperative multiplayer.

The story of the game takes place in England, after a horrible accident, which occurred during the cloning and genetic manipulation experiments in a Biotechnological Company called “Horzine Biotech” in London. The disfigured and mutated human specimens became hostile, after which they broke out into the outside world, making chaos and disrupting the peace protest that was going on outside the military contractor. The local police and civilians were quickly overwhelmed by the clones, after which the British Government desperately began to organize “ragtag” crews and teams of surviving Police Officers and British Army soldiers to fight back against them.

The player takes the perspective of one of those anonymous Police officers and British Army soldiers as a member of one of the teams, as he tries to fight back against the hordes and packs of mutated clone specimens, while participating in variety of missions around London.

Killing Floor puts you up on the co-op survival horror with five other players in the online cooperative mode. Players can choose to play the Solo Single-Player mode too, but I assure you that the real fun is in the internet games.

Killing Floor: I Told ya! I am Wealding this DOAR!

The server browser is exactly like the Unreal Tournament 2004 one. You can add favorites and read the latest news about the development of the game and also play on LAN games. Killing Floor allows friends to play together via the friends tab, which is a really comfortable feature. If friends are playing Killing Floor at the same time, players can join them directly through the Friends Tab in the Server Browser.

The Game-Play of Killing Floor is rather simple and consists of the two single and multiplayer modes, in which the player and five other players (if online), fights through large waves of zombie-like specimens from the failed experiment, while each next wave becomes more difficult than the last one. Players have a limited amount of time at the end of each wave to find the hidden trader and purchase equipment and weapons for the next wave. The game session concludes at the end of all waves with a battle with a unique super-creature called the “Patriarch”. Team Work is the key to successfully defeating the Patriarch Boss.

Killing Floor: Large Pack of Specimens

At the start of each game session, players have the ability to choose one of seven perks that will enhance their abilities in game-play. For instance, the Support-Specialist perk gives the player a discount to all the shotguns and also increases the size of the player inventory. Every perk can be leveled up with specific actions while used.

Twenty-two weapons are available for purchase at the end of each wave on a map, including melee weapons, shotguns, rifles, grenades, side arms, explosives, flamethrowers and other. Players earn cash for equipment when they kill zombie-like specimens. Harder specimens reward more money than lower-class specimens. For example if a player kills one fleshpound, it will reward him more money than the crawler. The Trader is ONLY accessible at the end of each wave before the beginning of the next for a limited amount of time. When the next wave begins, the trader will relocate and will be available again at the end of the current wave.

Killing Floor: Trader

Team Work and Tactical Game play exists in Killing Floor. Players can help each other with cash and healing. Door welding is also an awesome ability for planning creative strategies on how to survive, or how to save yourself from traps. For instance if you are trapped and surrounded by specimens, and there is a door that might block their way, welding it fast enough might push them off and increase your chance of defeating the other sides. Players can also heal each other, but the effect is much bigger when you heal someone else instead of yourself.

Killing Floor: Healing others is more effective than healing yourself

When executing long-distant kills or long-distant headshots or even multiple kills, the game will send everyone into ZED time (or slow-motion). This ZED time feature allows players to see the world in a slow-motion for a small amount of time, making it possible to witness the gore. It can also give the advantage to aim more carefully or to escape “sticky” situations.

Killing Floor: Multiple Kills

Voice-Chat and Random Voice Responses from character interaction with the game-play, and also selectable voice responses are available for communicating with your team-mates. The Killing Floor audio tracks match the game’s atmosphere perfectly with the loud and aggressive tunes while in combat, and the calm tunes while in setup between the waves.

Levels in Killing Floor are completely open. Players can travel where ever they want, and choose where to run, fight and plan their strategy. A maximum of six players can join in on one map, but servers where it is possible to join in up to a thirty-two player game exist. The Software Development Kit (SDK) for Killing Floor will offer the flexibility to develop more levels and modifications for this wonderful title.

The ZED Time is a wonderful feature that fits the concept of the game perfectly. The concept of Killing Floor is rather simple in comparison to the entertainment you will get. Killing Floor is surprisingly fun and addictive, and the rewarding perks, design and feel of the weaponry and action will make players come back for more. The First-Person Shooter perspective does not have a crosshair, which in my opinion is the greatest feature of all. It feels extremely rewarding when you make an amazing headshot from a long distance with a pistol, or make a multiple kill with the shotgun while trying to aim at the specimen’s heads.

Killing Floor: ZED Time

The Team Play offered by the perks, money helping ability, door and gate welding feature, and the ability to heal other players more effectively than yourself makes Killing Floor one of the best Survival First-Person Shooter out there. Perks are very challenging and hard to level, which is a good thing, because it will make players come back until they reach the max level in all perks, and join in the hardcore game sessions afterwards, where blood, gore and several packs of specimens awaits you. If you liked Left4Dead or other survival games, you will definitely like Killing Floor. At first, it might seem difficult to get along with others, but that is because you will start as a low level character. Once you’ve reached a suitable perk level that will enhance your abilities, you will be hooked on the game, in order to increase your power and make a massacre of the hordes of specimens. Although the game graphics can’t be compared to today’s titles, the game-play is much better than a big percentage of those “today’s titles”.

Killing Floor