Killing Floor 3 - Molly
Nightfall News | Sirens and Gorefasts: Do you hear that?
Buckle up, Nightfall! Today we’re taking a closer look at two Horzine creations designed to mess with your senses. So if you’d like to put in some earplugs and clothespin your nose shut, now’s the perfect time!
"That sharp screech is etched into my subconscious, haunting me in my sleep. I still wake up checking if my ears are bleeding, just like they did that day."
- Testimony of LRSW-7 Encounter by 2089 Labor Rioter
Siren Calling
Designed for both all-out warfare and domestic crowd control, sirens have become a terror to soldiers and civilians alike.
Since its introduction in 2011, the LRSW-7—better known as the “siren”—has undergone decades of refinement to become Horzine’s flagship sonic weapon. Every iteration since has been purpose-built to further enhance this terrifying capability.
The modern siren of 2091 is a sturdier weapons platform with advanced offensive and defensive capabilities. Her signature “scream” remains the core of her battlefield effectiveness with its ability to disintegrate incoming projectiles, destroy tools and traps, and disorient individuals within its astounding range. She’s even been outfitted with a blaster capable of firing a sonic projectile with the same effects as the scream, but concentrated on single targets. A reinforced metal exoskeleton shields her between screams, while cybernetic spine and leg enhancements allow her to double in size—dramatically increasing both the accuracy and destructive range of her sonic assault.
However, sirens are not without weaknesses. Before screaming or extending their neck, they expose vulnerable cybernetic elements that emit a distinct glow. To counter this vulnerability, sirens are often found hiding behind other zeds, making them difficult to spot. Specialists daring enough to engage should prioritize flanking maneuvers and target these weak points immediately to effectively dispose of a siren.
“When animating the Siren, I wanted to capture and showcase this bioweapon at full force, and there was no better way to do that than to put it in motion. The Siren has gone through extensive upgrades from our previous game, one of my favorites being that it can now extend to almost twice its normal size. This ability was originally only going to be used during its main attack, but I wanted to utilize it in other ways as well.
Capturing the character's silhouette is an important part of our process, and I wanted to create a clear distinction between walking and running. So when the Design & Character Art Teams gave it the ability to extend its legs, it enabled me to give the creature a scarier vibe by having it go from looking like it's struggling to walk to all of a sudden running on stilts.”
-Justin Knapich, Senior Animator
Gorefast & Furious
As the first zed to receive a weapons implant and endure extreme pain, some say the SC-500 “gorefast” walked so the husk and fleshpound could run. Originally a simple experiment in pain tolerance—achieved by removing nerve endings and skin—the gorefast has since evolved into a lethal combatant.
Despite its frail appearance and relative lack of major mechanical enhancements compared to other zeds in its class, underestimating the gorefast is a deadly mistake. With an enhanced frontal cortex, it operates as a highly effective combat strategist—particularly adept at identifying and hunting down lone combatants who leave themselves vulnerable.
Its oversized blade arm, now capable of cutting through virtually anything, makes it a formidable foe. Its endoskeleton has also been reinforced with durable synthetic bones and ligaments, allowing for fortified physiology and near-superhuman strength. Meanwhile, its enhanced cybernetic eye provides superior threat detection.
Thanks to its heightened intellect and prowess as a hunter, a gorefast is adept at prioritizing enemies who have strayed from their squad, especially if their target is below half health. To a gorefast, the lower the health, the higher the priority.
Teamwork and coordination are crucial to effectively neutralize a gorefast. For the best chances of surviving a confrontation, Nightfall squads should stick together, keep an eye on their health, and listen for the telltale sound of its blade scraping against the ground as this will often be the first indicator that they’re being hunted.
“The Gorefast came in about mid way through production as a melee - flanking character. Originally most of the animation from KF2 for that character was based on cleaned up motion capture for the navigation animations.
To push this character out of the campy gore genre and more into the true horror experience for the player, we decided to give the animations more of a predator feel with both its locomotion and attacks.
As a flanking character, the Gorefast targets players who are in the back lines or tend to separate from their party, so the idea of dragging its blade towards the player as it laser focuses onto its target gave more of the ominous feeling we were looking for. Creating moments where they could possibly hear dragging metal coming towards them before even realizing where its coming from, and then having the Gorefast appear seemingly out of nowhere to deliver and vicious strike.
As a flanking character, the Gorefast targets players who are in the back lines or tend to separate from their party, so the idea of dragging its blade towards the player as it laser focuses onto its target gave more of the ominous feeling we were looking for. Creating moments where they could possibly hear dragging metal coming towards them before even realizing where it's coming from, and then having the Gorefast appear seemingly out of nowhere to deliver a vicious strike.
We experimented with creepy silhouettes, quickly closing gaps to the player, and some surprise body horror animations, which gave us a great opportunity to create more jump scares and atmospheric horror for the player.”
-Kaitlyn Dering, Animator
In the chaos of battle, these two zeds may make your life a living hell. Dismiss them too hastily and you’ll find yourself outmaneuvered and overwhelmed with liquefied lungs, an agonizing stomach wound, or both.
Thanks for stopping by for another Nightfall News briefing! If you’d like an even closer look at these two killing machines, check out the siren and gorefast reveal trailers on our YouTube Channel! And to stay up to date on all things Killing Floor, please join the awesome community members on Discord, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and the Tripwire Official Forums.
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