Extermination (video game)

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Extermination
North American box art
Developer(s)	Deep Space
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Aspect ratio	480i (SDTV)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release date	JP March 8, 2001 PAL June 8, 2001 NA July 23, 2001
Genre(s)	Survival horror
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ELSPA: 15+ ESRB: Mature
Input methods	DualShock 2

Extermination is a survival horror video game for PlayStation 2. Since the title was a first-party game and came out very early in the system's life cycle, it was used as a showcase for the system at trade shows before its release.^[1] The game was considered the first true "survival horror" release on the PS2 and generated some hype amongst critics, but Extermination only received lukewarm reception.

Contents 1 Story 2 Gameplay 3 Reception 4 Influences and design 5 Region Differences 6 Notes & references

[edit] Story

The plot of Extermination focuses upon U.S. Marines Special Forces soldier Dennis Riley. Part of "Team Red Light", his squad receives a distress call from Fort Stewart, a top secret facility in Antarctica. In response, Team Red Light is sent in via parachute to investigate the facility. Dennis, along with teammate Roger Grigman, quickly find themselves in an unexpected situation: The fort has been overtaken by a strange virus that has the ability to wipe out both living and nonliving material that has sprayed off most of the area's population. Dennis, with the aid of old acquaintance Cindy Chen and the few survivors of his team, work together to escape becoming another casualty in the virus's wake.

[edit] Gameplay

Extermination belongs to the "Survival Horror" genre of video games, and as such players are encouraged to run whenever they can. This idea is reinforced by the fact that ammunition is limited for the main character's weapons (unlimited ammo refills are located in very few places), and enemies typically take a lot of damage before being defeated.

The game also features an Infection System. Along with a conventional health bar, there is also an "Infection Rate". Enemies in the game have the potential to both deal damage to Dennis' health and raise his Infection Rate. When the rate reaches 100%, Dennis becomes completely infected by the virus, and his maximum health is not only reduced to 60%, but also constantly depletes. Additionally, things that would usually not harm Dennis (i.e. infected puddles) or would only infect him now take damage. This can be fought back using a special machine called the MTS Bed located in certain areas of the game which cures the infection and restores his health to full, but this also requires an MTS vaccine, a limited item. If Dennis' health reaches zero when infected, he will mutate into a creature and die, resulting in a game over.

In the beginning, Dennis is equipped with a Special Purpose Rifle, or "SPR-4" assault rifle, a weapon traditionally given to the armed forces in the game's setting. This weapon is highly customizable and can be fitted with gadgets such as a zoom scope, flashlight grip, radar, and parts which convert it to different types of weapons such as a flame thrower, shotgun, or rocket launcher. Dennis also has a Combat Knife and can do either a single strong slash or multiple weak slashes. Another unique factor in Extermination's gameplay is the "Battery Pack". Found near the beginning of the game, Dennis uses this rechargeable battery to activate various machinery, and execute functions common to most video games such as saving the game. The battery pack can be upgraded to hold more power by collecting cells found in various locations around the Fort.

[edit] Reception

Extermination received generally lukewarm reception from critics. Reviewers from both GameSpot and IGN praised the game for offering some originality to the genre, making some minor improvements over similar gameplay found in Resident Evil, the soundtrack and suitable graphics. However, they criticized the sometimes awkward, straightforward gameplay and voice acting, and how the game didn't really offer anything that could top other survival horror releases. Both publications rated the game 7.1 and 6.9 out of 10 respectively.^[2][3] The game has also developed a slight cult following in the gaming community who feel that it's often underrated by fans of the genre.^[4]

The ratings accumulated by Game Rankings and GameStats averaged to 73% and 6.7 out of 10.^[5][6]

[edit] Influences and design

The game seems to take heavy inspiration from the 1982 sci-fi horror film John Carpenter's The Thing. Reviewers noted the reminiscent storyline and setting,^[3] while some noted resemblances between Ennio Morricone's soundtrack for the film and the music present in Extermination. Other comparisons included Carrier, Resident Evil, and the water SFX similar to those from the film The Abyss.^[3]

The look of the various small arms in Extermination were done with the supervision of Ichiro Nagata, a weapon expert working for Combat Magazine. The Special Purpose Rifle, or "SPR-4" assault rifle in the game is based on the Special Operations Peculiar Modification M4 Carbine (SOPMOD M4).

Many of the scientists names found in the documents scattered in the game are taken directly from famous American wrestlers from pro wrestling. Examples include Dwayne Johnson and Kurt Angle.

[edit] Region Differences

1. The UK, Japanese and US versions all have different voice casts.
2. In the US version, Red Light's uniforms are all white. In the UK and Japanese versions they are black.
3. In the US version, Dennis Riley has a different hair style than the UK and Japanese versions.
4. In the US version, Red Light's commanding officer's name is Mike Madigan. In the UK version his name is Mike Mattigan.

[edit] Notes & references