With Killing Floor 3 on the horizon, and with it a fresh opportunity for Tripwire to embrace its most dedicated fans like never before, I’d like to propose a rather specific homage to Killing Floor’s past. I’m talking, of course, about Defence Alliance 2.
Released 14 years ago, Defence Alliance 2 was a standalone mod for Killing Floor, set in a dystopian metropolis where, as the name implies, players would have to defend their base against enemy players. It was a lot like the base game, then, but with different classes, tactical defense options like turrets and sentries, and a Specimen Survival mode that would take us to open plains to fend off hordes of mutants. It was, in my opinion, the best of both worlds, and I would absolutely love to see it return in some form in Killing Floor 3.
Killing Floor 2, I’ll admit, left me a little disappointed. Set in France, it had a less satisfying gameplay experience than the first, which embraced its grind and was more upfront about its microtransaction model. Killing Floor 3, then, has a chance to return to the series’ roots, and embrace the community like never before.
Imagine if, as one of the modes in Killing Floor 3, you could take on the role of one of the classes in Defence Alliance 2, fighting off the Zeds in a multiplayer mode that wasn’t just stomping around in a PvE sandbox; that isn’t just a horde mode. Imagine if, as someone who has sunk hundreds of hours into Killing Floor, I could jump into a familiar mode with an entirely fresh experience.
An extra mode, like Specimen Survival, Defence Alliance 2 could be the refreshing addition that Killing Floor 3 needs, and deserves; the mod, released 14 years ago, has never been officially recognized and celebrated, and I think it certainly deserves that.
With Killing Floor 3 on the horizon, then, I urge Tripwire to embrace its community like never before, and to bring back Defence Alliance 2, in some form, to its upcoming game.
If you’re looking for other big games coming later this year, take a look at the best upcoming games. You might also want to try some of the best co-op games, if you’re a big fan of Killing Floor, or some of the best survival games, if you love defending a fixed position.
