Second Extinction
- September 30, 2021
- Systemic Reaction
- 9h median play time
Second Extinction is very much a Left 4 Dead stablemate, but it stands on its own thanks to its enemy variety and compelling atmosphere.
Gather your crew and get ready to reclaim Earth. Choose between a roster of specialized resistance fighters who each have a unique set of skills, a preferred range of weapons, and a rich and bloody past with the mutated monstrosities. Find the perfect combinations and synergies with the rest of your team, and watch as your enemies get decimated in an explosive symphony.
Reviews
- Thrilling gameplay with satisfying gun mechanics and dinosaur designs.
- Great co-op experience, especially when played with friends.
- The game has a lot of potential for future updates and content.
- Game has been abandoned by developers, with servers set to shut down soon.
- Frequent crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay.
- Limited content and repetitive missions lead to a lack of long-term engagement.
- story689 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often feels underdeveloped, with players noting a lack of engaging narrative or lore. Most missions are repetitive, focusing on similar objectives like killing dinosaurs or collecting items, which can lead to boredom after a short playtime. While there are some side missions and a dynamic world state influenced by player actions, the overall experience lacks depth and variety, leaving many players hoping for more content and a richer storyline in future updates.
“The story so far is amazing, the gunplay, dinosaurs, etc... you get the picture.”
“The missions give you a mini-story each time.”
“The first of those are story-driven missions which take place on a specific part of the map and usually follow a specific, internal logic.”
“The current tundra campaign has a handful of missions that are relatively redundant and not particularly enjoyable.”
“The lack of mission variety and optional objective variety will soon become tedious I'm sure.”
“It also needs more missions because there's only like six or seven with there not really feeling like there's any story behind them at all.”
- gameplay286 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has been described as fast-paced and engaging, with solid mechanics and enjoyable gunplay, particularly in cooperative play. However, many players noted that the gameplay loop can become repetitive quickly, with limited mission variety and some bugs affecting the experience. Overall, while the core gameplay is fun and satisfying, there is a consensus that more content and variety are needed to enhance long-term enjoyment.
“The gameplay is intense and fast-paced, with waves of dinosaurs coming at you from all directions.”
“The gameplay loop was solid, the variations of dinosaurs were exciting to play around, and the 'hero' variety was awesome.”
“The gameplay is very fluid and very satisfying with a heavy emphasis on mobility and intense moment-to-moment gameplay.”
“The gameplay gets boring and repetitive very fast.”
“Despite all that, the gameplay loop gets boring quickly and there's only so many times I can shoot the same dinosaurs and play through the same missions before wondering what else there is to do.”
“The gameplay is boring and stale and they didn't even bother implementing scaling based on player count.”
- graphics191 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their stunning detail and vibrant environments, particularly the realistic dinosaur models and well-rendered landscapes. Many players noted that the visuals are impressive even on lower settings, with smooth performance and high frame rates reported on capable hardware. However, some users experienced optimization issues and graphical bugs, which detracted from the overall experience, suggesting that while the graphics are a highlight, they are not without their flaws.
“The graphics are stunning - the dinosaurs are incredibly detailed and realistic, and the environments are beautifully rendered.”
“This game has beautiful graphics, and impressive framerate to go along with it.”
“The graphics are fantastic, dino designs are dope (but I do hope they add more species) and the gameplay is awesome; can't wait for future updates on this game.”
“Second Extinction is one of those games where the developers seem to have prioritized graphics and aesthetics over gameplay and optimization.”
“Graphics aren't that good, and it's honestly just a game to play with your friends when you're bored of everything.”
“Game ran like 10 fps even on the poorest graphics settings; I even had to scale the resolution down. I ran games with better graphics like Horizon Dawn, still bad at a point my screen just stayed white like I was flashbanged with no end.”
- stability116 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that can hinder gameplay, such as crashes, freezing, and unresponsive objectives. While some users have experienced minimal issues and find the game enjoyable despite its early access status, others describe it as nearly unplayable due to persistent technical problems. Overall, while there are fun elements to the game, its current state is marred by instability that needs addressing before a full release.
“As it's in early access, it's expected that there will be issues, but so far after well over 100 hours of gameplay I've only ever had a few server blips, where we've dropped out of the server and lost our progress. The actual game has so far been bug-free for me.”
“Other than that, it runs great on my old laptop, smooth and no lag so far. Can't wait to see where this game goes.”
“Great game, basically no glitches and looks amazing.”
“Unplayable and buggy.”
“The amount of times the game crashes and glitches makes this game not worth your money yet.”
“Hope you enjoy playing maybe two minutes of the mission before it completely freezes on you.”
- optimization66 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its performance and stability, especially on mid-range systems, while others report significant issues, including frame drops and crashes. Many acknowledge that while the game looks great and runs smoothly for some, it still requires further optimization and bug fixes, particularly for those with lower-end hardware. Overall, the game shows potential but needs ongoing improvements to enhance the experience for all players.
“Wonderfully optimized and incredibly fun.”
“For an early access title, it is very well optimized and very pretty to look at.”
“The performance issues are mostly fixed; I can now run this game maxed and get 90+ fps on a 1070+7700k, not bad really, just minor flickering here and there.”
“Second Extinction is one of those games where the developers seem to have prioritized graphics and aesthetics over gameplay and optimization.”
“Unfortunately, the game experience is torpedoed by sub-par technical performance.”
“The game optimization is terrible; I am getting 30 fps at ultra settings and 50-60 fps at low settings (comparing to Killing Floor 2). I tried to make the game borderless and turned off the vsync, but there wasn't much difference.”
- grinding36 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it both enjoyable and tedious. While some appreciate the challenge of gathering materials and upgrading weapons, others express frustration over repetitive tasks, infinite enemy spawns, and significant progress loss due to crashes or mission failures. Overall, the game offers a grind-heavy experience that can be fun in short bursts but may become monotonous over extended play sessions.
“Pretty much 9 hours in, you can unlock every weapon. To give you an idea, it's not really grindy at all; it's more about going through the ringer and getting rewards as you progress.”
“The grinding for parts is frustrating because there is no way to farm specific materials that I can tell.”
“A lot of grinding is required to upgrade gear, and you lose most of it if you don't evacuate, which is super frustrating when there's a total party kill.”
“The current state is fun for a bit, but there really isn't enough content to keep someone playing for more than 10 hours before it starts to feel grindy.”
- monetization33 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism from users, who describe it as a blatant cash grab with little regard for player satisfaction or ongoing support. Many reviewers express frustration over the lack of updates, communication, and the introduction of microtransactions, leading to a perception that the developers are more interested in profit than delivering a quality gaming experience. Overall, players feel misled and disappointed, urging caution against investing in future products from this developer.
“What was very promising at first has become a casualty of microtransactions in regards to their ongoing game, Generation Zero.”
“I don't feel like this was play tested very well. From the very start, it gave me a bad taste in my mouth having to create an account to play it, and reading several times in the terms of service the mention of credit cards and in-game purchases.”
“I agree with another reviewer on here, if these early access games are only going to be here as a means of a cash grab, then Steam needs to implement a change that lets the community get their money back and make the studios pay for lying.”
“What was very promising at first has become a casualty of 'microtransactions equal more money' in regards to their ongoing game, Generation Zero.”
“This game was amazing, it truly was, lazy devs, (maybe) lazy parent company reducing funding or pulling members away for other projects. This could have been an amazing game unlike most I have seen in the past few years; they should have sold it on, or made it open source in a way. If the devs actually wanted this game to keep existing, they would. It was a cash grab fueled by their inability to correctly budget other projects.”
- humor22 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players enjoying the absurdity of certain mechanics, like ragdoll animations and funny weapon interactions, especially when playing with friends. While some find the character dialogues and voice lines amusing, others criticize them as cringy or poorly executed. Overall, the humor can be entertaining initially, but it may become repetitive over time, especially amidst the game's bugs and crashes.
“The game becomes incredibly funny when you are playing with friends.”
“The characters' dialogues are funny as hell; my character Amir is a smartass, and I love it.”
“With those explosions come delicious chunks of dino meat which, while grotesque, are hilarious thanks to a well-implemented ragdoll animation system.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find enjoyment in time attack modes and the potential for future content updates, others criticize the current lack of offline capabilities and limited missions, which can lead to a repetitive experience. The game shows promise with its design and multiplayer fun, but many feel it needs more content and features, such as weapon prestige and randomization, to enhance replay value. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replayability, the current state of the game may not justify its full price for some players.
“I also truly hope this game continues to be a labor of love for the devs, and they keep adding more to it, because this game can have a lot of potential and replayability to it.”
“Second Extinction offers a large amount of content, replayability, progression & difficulty.”
“The devs have plans for the future and I'm quite excited for all of the content and added replayability that is to come.”
“The fact they also can't be bothered to add offline capabilities to enhance replayability shows me the project was abandoned a long time ago as well.”
“The game is pretty barebones at the moment and doesn't have much replayability value, which is why it isn't worth its full price point.”
“You want to keep upgrading your weapons and killing dinosaurs, but without randomizers for the main missions or something to help with the replayability, it gets old pretty quick.”
- music20 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. While some users noted that certain tracks can become repetitive or annoying during combat, the majority found the soundtrack to be catchy and fitting for the game's action and environment. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“The graphics are amazing, the gameplay feels smooth and exciting, the dinosaurs sound amazing, the sound design is phenomenal, the music is quickly becoming some of my favorite music to date and I am just in love with almost every single aspect of the game <3”
“The game, dinosaurs, music, ambience and everything is just extremely appealing.”
“The music is top notch, and really keeps you going.”
“The music that plays when you get into a combat situation, I have ended up disabling it as it would not stop playing even after you killed everything and just ended up being a nuisance rather than the helpful tool it was supposed to be.”
“Guns don't have any oomph to them; music and dino noises are incredibly generic.”
“Music is decent and catchy.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and tense qualities, reminiscent of 1980s horror themes, with players feeling a constant sense of danger akin to being hunted. The combination of stunning graphics, an engaging soundtrack, and unique enemy designs contributes to a captivating experience, whether playing solo or with friends. However, some reviewers noted that certain flaws can detract from the overall atmospheric impact.
“It makes for a unique Stranger Things-esque experience - especially on the basis of its 1980s setting - and is phenomenally atmospheric.”
“If you're playing solo like I did for the first hour, the game has really good atmosphere, makes it feel like you're being hunted by raptors constantly; I've never checked my six in any game as much as I have in this game.”
“The first thing you'll notice is the stunning atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere and feeling of constant danger reminded me of my experience playing Hunt: Showdown.”
“The atmosphere feels like a mix of Evolve, the enemies from Left 4 Dead, the characters from Apex, the movement and combat of Doom, and the open-world quests of Monster Hunter.”
“The atmosphere is tense.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that while the gunplay and character design are strong, there is a desire for more missions and contracts to enhance character development, indicating that the game has potential for deeper character progression.
“More missions, more contracts, character development; yes, it has potential.”
“Gunplay and character design/mechanics are actually pretty good.”
“Weapon design and character design are cool too.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
“I was disappointed by how little the characters evolved throughout the game.”
“There are too few opportunities for character growth, making the experience feel stagnant.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers find the emotional impact of the game diminished by its small, sparsely populated island setting, which feels disheartening due to the random placement of locations. Additionally, they note that the animations could be improved to enhance the overall emotional experience.
“The fact that it's all on one rather small island, with locations randomly placed in an otherwise empty map, is heartbreaking.”