'Extinction' Review Roundup: Great Ideas, Dismal Execution
"Extinction" started out as a game that planned to put together all the best elements of action games and anime in one ambitious title. The game has been out since Tuesday, April 10, and for the price of $60, reviewers would rather recommend something else.
On the drawing board, "Extinction" showed a lot of promise. It will have action-platforming elements complete with the ability to climb up towering monsters called "Ravenii," something clearly inspired by "Shadow of the Colossus." The gameplay is all about protecting cities under siege by the giant monstrosities, a theme made popular by the anime "Attack on Titan."
Then there's the action RPG part itself, as Iron Galaxy Studios sought to execute the same rhythmic combat of the "Devil May Cry" series. It's a promising start as any.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
However, the execution has been dismal, as Ars Technica's Steven Strom explained at length in his review. If "Extinction" has one saving grace, it is the way the hero Sentinel is able to chop off the heads of enemies with satisfying ease.
For everything else, the main character Avil doesn't have it as easy. The first few levels were impressive, with Avil able to parkour along the city walls and treetops with effortless grace, to deal with the first few giants in no time.
The game then proceeds to present the player with that same objective, over and over again as Gamespot's Peter Brown said, and he summed up his review of "Extinction" in two words, directed at would-be players: "Walk Away."
Avil is near invincible against regular mooks, but for practical purposes, one hit from a giant means instant death for the character. Which is no big deal, since he respawns right away like nothing happened. However, the player would then have to run all the way back to the frontlines for another chance to get one-shot.
As for the combat itself, only one button is needed to execute most if not all of the combos Avil has at his disposal, which might be a good thing given that the normal enemies might as well be standing still, anyway, given their bad AI.
Not all reviewers are fully critical of the game, though. There are reviews like the one from PC Gamer's Andy Kelly, which gives the game 58 out of 100, with points deducted since there's not much to justify the game costing $60.
That's still a notch higher than the current score of the game on Metacritic, which currently has "Extinction" at a Metascore of 57 out of 100. The current user score is rather telling, though, with players giving the game a 1.9 out of ten, a score indicative of "Overwhelming dislike."
"Extinction" has been available since Tuesday, April 10 for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, for those who would still buy it despite repeated warnings.
