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Killing Floor 3
Killer Cooperative Chaos - Killing Floor 3 Interview with Tripwire Interactive
We caught up with creative director Bryan Wynia once again to discuss the upcoming shooter title and how the developer is going above and beyond to deliver gore, thrill, and relentless action.
Audio transcription
"Hello everyone and welcome back to another Gamereactor interview. Today, well you actually, if you're a long-time viewer of Gamereactor, you might recognise who I'm here with today because, well, me and Bryan have a bit of a past. Although granted, this is a little bit off-beat because usually we save the times that we talk and the times that we meet for Gamescom, which, you know, we're not here, we're not there today. But yes, I'm here with Bryan Wynia, the Creative Director over at Tripwire Interactive because, well I've just had a chance to play a bunch of Killing Floor 3 with you, Bryan. Before we get into that, what do you think about my sort of go at Killing Floor? Was you impressed as somebody, you know, who plays the game a lot? You took on three Fleshpounds at one point. I was surprised that we hit you with that challenge, like, straight out the gate. So I was like, if they survive this, we're in a good spot. So you passed the test with flying colours. Like, we should be just on the edge of our seat, wiping the sweat from our brow. We did that. Been there, done that. As somebody who's coming in to play the game, that's all the feedback that I'd ever need. The man who created the game or the very involved who created the game has given me that sort of feedback. But anyway, let's talk a little bit about it then. So we're nearly there. We're nearly at launch. Obviously, we've been talking about Killing Floor for a while, but we're nearly at the finishing line in many ways. So considering the last time we talked was August, you know, what has changed in Killing Floor 3 in those months since? You know, how have you looked at feedback and improved the game in the months that have been?
So I think obviously that's the biggest thing is like we have a group of super fans that we work with. We test every single day in the studio, and it's just continuing to focus on the things that we're enjoying, looking at the things that are broken and don't feel great. Balance, balance, balance. That's the name of the game, right? Like three Fleshpounds straight out the gate in normal, maybe a bit high. Maybe something we'll work on, but you also survived it, right? So yeah, it's just really continuing to kind of adjust that, continuing to perfect our weapon feel, and also really continuing to perfect the challenges that we're hitting players with."
"Like today, you and I, you got to experience for the first time our mutations, right? And when we got that fodder one where it was like all cysts and all crawlers, like having to adapt to that challenge, that's a really nice area that the team's really been focused on and improving the experience in Killing Floor 3. And this is the third Killing Floor game, which, you know, Killing Floor 2 came out, well, quite a while ago at this point. And this is going to be an opportunity for people to get into the series and really be a stepping on point, I would assume, for many. So, you know, how have you gone about doing that? You know, managing this game in such a way that it provides the perfect place for people to hop in and experience Killing Floor for the first time? So I think the biggest thing there is finding not only a way to have new players, but also returning players. And a big thing there is at launch, we're going to have three different difficulty modes. And those three different difficulty modes are a great way for new players to have something to jump into. But also, if you're a seasoned vet, we're going to have challenges that are perfectly suited for you as well. So that, to me, is an area that I really like to introduce. Like, today, we played on normal because we were seeing how intense it was."
"But there was groups that we've played with that we're going to try some hard. We're going to try some hell on earth as well. Get the body bags ready. And what about the story as well? Obviously, with this being the third installment in the series, there is some sort of narrative past that, you know, people may not be so familiar with. So what are you doing in that way to sort of make it a perfect place for people to first experience the Killing Floor universe, we say?
Yeah. So we have a lot of opportunities to tell a story. And I think, for me, one of the biggest ones is environmental storytelling, right? Every bit of text, every pixel you see on screen, the team at Tripwire has been hard at work on trying to help communicate that story. Like, what Horzine security guards were ripped apart here and why? Things like that. Even inside the hub, like, I'm obsessed with hiding Easter eggs and hinting at the future. You'll notice this in our Z reveal videos. Like, we hide one frame at hinting what's next. There's hidden Easter eggs everywhere that help communicate what's coming next post launch, but also what the story is in the world. Why are you here? The biggest tool we have, though, outside of environmental storytelling is our new evolving narrative assignments. This gives players a purpose when they're moving through the space of being able to go through and actually, like, investigate a massacre that happened on a particular map. Maybe find out about this rogue Horzine employee and what they were up to. So that's something I'm really excited for players to experience. And it's an awesome tool for us to kind of help build that store and lore within the world of Killing Floor 3."
"And obviously today, there was four of us playing together in a group, but the Killing Floor can be played either solo or with a group of up to six players. With such a wide array of player numbers, how do you go about balancing a game like that and making sure that it feels rewarding and fun both for a single player, but also a group of six? That's where that massive, like, balance and playtesting really works. Like, we playtest a variety of scenarios. The thing that's really interesting that I think people might not know is our player base is actually split. It's like 51 to 49 percent with the data that we have that love to play with friends. And then there is that group that want to play solo and just, like, go into the world by themselves, set it on the most difficult setting, and see how long they can survive. So we want to make sure that players are able to do both of those things and everything in between. So big props to the team at Tripwire for continuing to test, develop, push, and tune those numbers to make sure it's the experience it needs to be. And one of the key things about this game, obviously, is it's a horde defense mode almost, and you're fighting a lot of enemies at once. And the way that you are seemingly looking to overwhelm the enemies by having these smart, sort of, unique enemies that each one feels different and attacks the player in a different way. So how do you scale that as well for the really demanding players that are looking for something really, really challenging? What sort of, like, real niche things do you have in store for the folks that are really looking to push the boat out? Yeah, for sure. So I actually think this is something new to Killing Floor. It's like, I'm glad you noticed that they feel smarter, they're doing more aggressive things, things like that. There are things that players are starting to notice as we're kind of doing more testing as well, like, that are very, very subtle that I think these high-level players are noticing."
"The Siren has the ability to extend her neck down and do that massive AoE attack. But the thing that she'll do is she'll actually hide behind bloats. So she'll almost use the bloat as a body shield. That's why we gave her the ability to extend that neck and still do that big attack.
So there's, like, little subtle nuances there. The Husk has the ability to fly and jump around now."
"But if you can kind of, like, play this, like, dance or a game of chess with him where if he's attacking you, I'll try to flank and I'll expose a critical zone on his tank that I can shoot, causing him to explode and even damage Zeds around him. So it's really finding multiple ways for Zeds to attack you, but multiple ways that you can attack them as well. That's something that's really big. Like, another example of that is if you try to break off from the pack, Gorefast will hunt you down. Like, as part of the lore of those Zeds, their big thing is getting in your face and trying to literally cut you in half and rip you limb to limb. So if you break away, they're going to single you out. And one of the things I've noticed as well is that you throw a lot of enemies at the player at once. Obviously, that's what you want. You want to feel overwhelmed and challenged. We've seen a lot of technological developments over the past few months. You know, recently, new generation of GPUs, PlayStation 5 Pros, down the line there'll be a new Nintendo Switch. How are all these developments in technology allowing you to really enhance and improve the Killing Floor experience? I mean, it just really helps with performance and the amount of things that we can put on screen, right? Like, we've done a lot of testing where it's like finding that right balance, right? Where it's like how many Zeds in KF2 felt really good? How many can we fit on screen for KF3? This is something we're still working on."
"That's why I won't give complete specifics on it. But also, what is the right amount for gameplay?
Because it's not just making it where it's like we want it to be overwhelming, but you also want clarity in what you're doing. So it's like finding that perfect balance. So let's talk a little bit then about the future, because obviously the game's nearly here. And you mentioned it a little bit earlier in the presentation that Killing Floor 2 was supported for nine years, and you intend to do something similar with Killing Floor 3. What will that be in store for players? I think players will be very excited that after the launch of Killing Floor 3, we will continue to support it just like we did with KF2. But some of the things that are new to this are not only free maps, but free specialist and perk archetypes being added into the mix, free weapons."
"This will include real-world weapons as well. There'll be new assignments, new narrative campaigns. I want to spill all the beans right now, but we've literally been continuing to work on how that story evolves, what are new characters that are coming, also what are new enemies that are coming. I will say this, that players can actually look through some of our trailers, and then when released, there are Easter eggs in a variety of maps and spaces that could help them start to gather ideas of what some of these new spaces will be, what some of these new enemies will be, and new members that will be joining the Nightfall team. Very exciting. So as a final question then for you, with the launch getting very close, what sort of one tip that you would give for players that are maybe looking to get into Killing Floor 3 for the first time? People that may be a little less unfamiliar with the series. Of course, yeah, I think playing with friends is a great way. To me, Killing Floor is at its best when it's you and your friends back-to-back, wiping the sweat from your brow, just barely surviving. The thing that I tell players when they ask, how do I get good at Killing Floor, is it's about prioritizing targets."
"The thing closest to you might not necessarily be the biggest threat. So for example, that siren behind a bloat, she can be pretty devastating. So work and coordinate with your team to kind of tactically remove those high-threat targets, so that way you can actually survive a match of Killing Floor 3. Well there you have it, and Killing Floor 3 is almost here. Brian, what's the sort of release plans and the release platforms again? We are doing cross-platform at launch, and that is going to be in March. In March, so stay tuned for that, and otherwise, more on Killing Floor 3, keep an eye on your local game reactor. Thanks for watching guys."
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