Killing Floor 2 has always made for great fun with friends.
The no-frills co-op shooter is a fantastic way to pass the time, as you’ll find yourself screaming through the heavy metal soundtrack trying to rid Europe of waves of different zombie types (yes, multiple zombies)
While KF2 hits it out of the park in terms of gameplay and presentation, there’s really not a lot here in terms of content.
It’s fun while it lasts, but leaves you wanting more.
So what’s to do when you’ve grinded through your favorite classes?
Well, there are tons of cool mods to choose from to keep the game interesting. I’ve already found some of my favorites that you might want to try for yourself, and I’m ranking them all here.
Another beloved video game reference, except this time we’re moving towards the retro era.
Typically, FPS games (especially those involving zombies) are expected to have dark, gritty visuals.
Well why not have a bit of fun and take KF2 to the world of Mario?
Trade in the dank European streets for the bright and colorful fields of Peach’s Castle. All before you paint the map red, of course.
The change of scenery is definitely something to get used to, but it makes for tons of fun. You might be surprised at how the contrast is actually quite nice.
This time we’re taken under the sea to Bikini Atoll.
If you didn’t know already, the actual Bikini Atoll was actually a test site for nuclear weapons back in the 40’s-50’s, which actually makes sense given the setting of KF2.
What’s more interesting is that this map is also inspired by Bikini Bottom from SpongeBob.
Combine the two and you get a much darker version of Bikini Bottom – one that actually looks like zombies belong there.
You’ll even find some familiar places like the Krusty Krab. KF2 and Mr Krabs… I never thought I’d see the day.
This world is gonna be fun to explore if you’re a hardcore SpongeBob fan. It’ll probably lend itself to some nice memes along the way, too.
Zed’s Diner is a retro diner map that you’re sure to have loads of fun with.
A retro diner in the middle of the desert? Check.
A wide-open drive-in cinema? You got it.
With nothing to light your surroundings but the diner’s neon signs and the moonlight, it looks like this was taken straight out of a horror film.
The map features some rebalances as well, as zed spawn faster than they do on official KF2 maps.
Other than surviving waves of zombies, you can also search for the 10 “Gold Record” collectibles scattered around the map as well. Gives you a little something to keep you busy.
Other than maps, some modders let their creativity shine through by creating unique weapon skins to enhance the visuals of KF2.
This specific skin changes the appearance of the katana, giving it a black and gold colorway, along with red ribbon highlights wrapped around the handle.
The katana now looks better than ever.
Truthfully, the attention to detail is incredible here. You’ll even find Japanese symbols as well as a biohazard symbol etched on the backside of the blade.
The gun is now dominantly dark blue with gold highlights. The etched detail in the gold hardware gives the gun a much more delicate, classier look.
Looking through the comments section, someone actually noted that “the engravings offer no tactical advantage whatsoever.” So why install it?
While this is completely true, it also completely misses the point.
The skin looks great and should make a gunslinger playthrough all the more fun. Small aesthetic tweaks can enhance immersion, always something I’m into.
Edmund Cook (better known as The Chickenator) was actually an unlockable character for a limited event back in the first Killing Floor game.
He hasn’t made an appearance in KF2, and although his Commando Chicken outfit can be purchased in the in-game store, you could just mod Foster’s appearance to get him in the game.
This neat mod completely changes Foster’s appearance to a brand-new Chickenator suit. So you’ll be able to play as Commando Chicken any time you want.
Another Foster reskin, this time letting you play as the Joker.
Inspired by the red suit worn by the recent Joke iteration performed by Joaquin Phoenix, you can now customize Foster’s appearance and have him wear the exact same outfit.
What’s nice about this mod is that it appears in the gear menu during character selection, so you’ll be able to easily select the different parts to mix and match.
Unfortunately, the skin doesn’t include a joker face.
Instead you’re given a gas mask smeared with clown colors… which isn’t a bad alternative.
If you’ve grinded through the base game, played around with different maps, and had fun with different skins, how else can you get more out of KF2?
Well there are actually mods that allow for actual gameplay customization that can make the game either more interesting or more challenging, depending on your own taste.
Controlled Difficulty is one of those mods.
It allows you to take control of otherwise hardcoded or random factors in the game.
The mod keeps it close to vanilla, but gives you options to tweak spawn system values, max zed limits, and even controlling which boss spawns.
This makes it possible to play a completely customized game, so how you play is essentially up to you.
The versus mode in KF2 isn’t actually all that great, since the zed team randomly spawns as any zed in the game.
That means that you could spawn as any of the weaker zeds and that wouldn’t make for such a good time.
Lucky for us, there’s a “Be the Zed Variety Pack” mod. This introduces four new game modes to keep things interesting.
Boss Challenge lets one random player spawn as the Patriarch, one of the few bosses in the game, and has access to all his attacks.
There’s also a Pop the Cyst mode where one player spawns as a cyst, except with buffed speed and health. The other players are only given knives and welders and have to chase the cyst around until they can kill it.
There are two other fresh game modes to try as well, and this should make for a lot of fun – especially playing with friends.
Headhunter gives you the ability to play the Cranium Cracker mode from the Weekly Outbreaks.
For those who are unfamiliar, Weekly Outbreaks are weekly events in Killing Floor 2 offering additional game modes and rewards for completion.
Note that you don’t have the ability to choose which event is be available, but if you’re a fan of the Cranium Cracker mode, this mod will definitely keep things interesting.
You’ll be able to play in Headhunter mode anytime you want, where as in Cranium Cracker, only headshots will count towards damaging enemies.
GrooveYard is actually a map mod, but there are tons of features to discover here.
And all of them bring a whole new level of fun to the game.
Once you make your way inside, you’ll actually find yourself in a night club setting. And everything is oversized.
Your character is actually mouse-sized in GrooveYard, so everything from the bar to the tables and chairs scattered around the map will be like the Jolly Green Giant’s house.
What’s fun about this map is that you can interact with pretty much all the objects inside.
You’ll find yourself spending most of your time riding skateboards and playing the giant drum set or piano, among loads of other stuff you can explore.
It’s a unique map loaded with original ideas that’s sure to make for a good time.
