Extinction takes place in a fantasy world of titanic orcs and jumpy goblins. With mud huts and straw roofs, plus sword-based combat, the fictional medieval aesthetic is a clear influence. Yet, characters still speak over headsets. That’s how modern games tell their stories; Extinction finds a way, setting be damned. A special orb allows for static, game-stalling communication and repetitious chatter during combat. It’s all dull.

The greatest asset to Extinction is the feisty movement. That’s also a downer – it’s erratic and so rapid as to never feel in full control. The camera never knows where to be. Disruptive and distant as static story dialog is (and as grating as the cliche “monsters are attacking our village/one man army” narrative tends to be), at least there’s time to appreciate the art style (that’s fantastic).

Extinction’s quirk is an army of 30-foot tall ogre things, marching on cities. Systems in place to take them down are helpless and clumsy. Leveling exists to patch those concerns and still, never feels natural. A combination of slow motion and special strikes take out limbs or armor and eventually, their heads. Reaching the neck recalls Attack on Titan that did this same thing with elegance and speed. Extinction does not. It just feels lost.

The best thing about Extinction? There’s no day one patch.

2/5