Killing Floor is one of the best co-op shooters on Steam. There is now a new installment, but it starts with mixed reviews.
Which shooter is it about? Killing Floor 3 is a co-op shooter that was released on July 24, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, and can be played with up to 5 friends.
The predecessors, Killing Floor 1 and 2, were very well received by many players. The first part of the series has 93% positive reviews, making it one of the highest-rated co-op shooters on Steam (see SteamDB). The successor, Killing Floor 2, also stands out with 88% positive ratings.
What is Killing Floor about? Killing Floor 3 aims to continue the successful formula. Accordingly, in the third installment of the series, you also fight against the so-called Zeds. These are genetically modified monsters that pursue you in zombie-like hordes. You fight for your survival in co-op.
The “Killing Floor” games are considered extremely brutal and are therefore only suitable for players aged 18 and over, not for children.
Shooter with an identity crisis
How did the release go? Mixed. Killing Floor 3 managed to record up to 30,000 concurrent players on Steam alone (via SteamDB), but the current reviews are barely balanced—only 55% of the roughly 3,700 reviews are positive.
What is bothering the players? Players have various points of criticism that currently bother them. The gunplay is okay, though somewhat unimpressive, and the graphics are quite good, but otherwise, it doesn’t feel like a finished game.
Fans also criticize that Killing Floor 3 lacks soul and has an identity crisis. It cannot decide whether it wants to be Call of Duty: Zombies or Killing Floor 2 (via Steam).
Other points of criticism on Steam include:
- “Killing Floor 3 is a pale imitation of the last two games. It is no longer a horror wave shooter; it feels like any other unfinished, generic shooter.”
- “It is an empty shell, disguised as Killing Floor.”
- “They released/sold a game with an outstanding name that is not even close to being fully developed.”
- “Where has the heavy, bloody horror atmosphere gone that kept you on edge until the last Zed? […] Killing Floor 3 may appeal to those who have not played the previous games and just want a simple, quick shooter with some modern online features. But for fans of the series and lovers of atmospheric, brutal co-op FPS games, this is one to avoid.”
Overall, it is noted that the shooter is not a real Killing Floor. They tried to reach a larger audience and lost their personality in the process. Only the name remains.
Killing Floor 3 can also be fun
Is there also praise? Yes, at least just over half of all reviews are positive. The key idea is often: You get a modern shooter with Killing Floor that can be quite fun and has resolved many of the technical issues from previous tests.
For some, it still feels like a Killing Floor and offers the amount of gore they expect from the shooter. Overall, there is still potential for improvement, but players are satisfied to be able to mow down Zeds again.
A similar situation to the one Killing Floor 3 is currently experiencing also occurred with Payday 3. Some players had fun despite technical issues, but especially the fans were disappointed because it strayed too far from Payday 2 in gameplay and is considered a step back from its predecessor: Payday 3 was one of the most anticipated games on Steam – Now the shooter fails spectacularly, fans complain and are disappointed
