KF2 – The Power of Modding
Much like a certain other zombie-based horde shooter, Killing Floor 2 has a thriving modding community that’s warmly endorsed by the developers. Its Workshop is full of modifications and skins and maps that exponentially increase the amount of available content, and today I wanted to talk about a few that really showcase just how much potential Killing Floor 2 has as a modder’s paradise.
First we have the map “Insurrection“, which is currently the only map on the workshop that uses “Objective” mode, which adds goals for the players other than to just kill zombies. Objective mode was a thing back in Killing Floor 1, and it gave Tripwire a chance to flesh out the story and lore behind the KF universe, and while they’ve mentioned that Objective mode is among their top priorities for future content, currently there are no official Objective maps meaning Insurrection is the best we’ve got so far.
I cannot wait for an official objective mode because that’s the main thing I dislike about Killing Floor 2‘s gameplay. As I mentioned in my first article on Killing Floor 2, I prefer my horde enemies to be an obstacle preventing me from achieving a larger goal. So I’m very excited that mapmakers have the tools at their disposal to give the community versatile maps with all sorts of creative ideas. For example, Nuked had an actual nuclear explosion that created a thick fog, suddenly changing the environment after the first few waves, and Transient has working railcarts that players can take to quickly traverse the map. As time goes on, we should be seeing some really crazy creations on the Steam workshop (at the moment, I’d say Grooveyard sets the standard).
Especially when you consider this mindblowing mod that adds a bunch of Half-Life 2 monsters into the game as fully-functional enemy units. The headcrab zombies drop headcrabs when they die, the Hunters bumrush you and use electric attacks, and (most terrifyingly) the poison headcrabs drop you to 1hp with a single hit, whereupon you start regenerating your health. There are even Combine helicopters!
The Half Life 2 monsters breathe new life into every single map, and I still have a hard time believing this mod is even possible. I cannot recommend this mod higher for any Killing Floor 2 fans who want to experience the game from a completely new angle.
The sheer amount of creative freedom that Tripwire offers the mod-makers is astounding. Left 4 Dead 2 doesn’t support genuinely original NPC units with custom mechanics to this sort of degree, and the sky is literally the limit. These are all considered ‘Mutators’, which disable achievements and XP leveling (totally fair) but otherwise are wholeheartedly embraced by the developers, and this attitude opens doors for potentially anything. Custom weapons, custom perks, custom game modes… given enough time and same hyperactive modding community that the first game enjoyed, we could be seeing a future where everything on the community’s wishlist (like miniguns) can show up as a Mutator. This gives me a lot of hope for the future of the game and its longevity.