Today we’re going to explore one of Horzine’s most fearsome zeds: the crawler.
“In today’s complex global threat environment, a small advantage can make a major difference. To stay one step ahead, Horzine proudly introduces the AS-06, the world’s first full-mobility, non-planar bioweapon. This easily-deployable arachnid can attack from virtually anywhere, meaning the enemy has nowhere to hide.”
—Horzine promotional video, March 27, 2090
Climbing the Walls
Going back all the way to Killing Floor 2, we wanted the crawler to walk on walls. This would present a whole new challenge to players: suddenly they could be ambushed from any direction.
With Killing Floor 3, we finally solved the problem. But our reimagining of the crawler didn’t end there: We wanted its visual design to lean into our horror roots by mixing the strange anatomy of a spider with the unsettling menace of a movie serial killer. Its pale skin, snarled limbs, crooked rows of teeth, and unsettling clusters of eyes make it undoubtedly one or our most frightening-looking zeds.
Frightening to look at, equally frightening to fight. Our new crawlers keep you on your toes—you have to be ready to cover attacks from every angle. This means you never feel completely safe, even in seemingly secure positions. There’s nothing like getting dropped on by a swarm of crawlers to turn even the bravest player into a complete arachnophobe.
Hail to the Queen
For KF3 we also wanted to extend the crawler family tree. This resulted in the introduction of the Queen Crawler, who you may have briefly glimpsed in the crawler reveal video.
This zed is the result of rogue Horzine scientist Emmanuel Moorcroft’s experiments with a mutagenic substance known as the Mire. (More on both of those subjects in the future.) The Queen is everything terrifying about the crawler and then some. She’s a towering mass of legs and mandibles with claws and teeth jutting out from every side.
Battles against this fast-paced boss are nerve-racking, whether she’s trying to eat you alive or rip you limb from limb. The Queen can control the Mire, which allows her to teleport and surprise you with devastating attacks. During combat, she also lays eggs that will hatch a swarm of larvae that can quickly overwhelm you.
So grab your flamethrower and grenades—it’s time to destroy it with fire.