We previewed Second Extinction's Early Access

Driftwood
Tuesday, October 13, 2020 | 12:15 PM
2 comments

GSY Preview PC Xbox One

After being able to play a short demo of Second Extinction a few weeks ago, we had a bit of time to try the Early Access version of the game a few days before it launched on Steam. Here is what we think of it and a couple of 4K/60fps videos. Sadly, we could only record some single player footage, but we'll try to find time to show the game as it should be shown in co-op as soon as possible. We believe that the 2 videos do a pretty good job at showcasing the craziness of the fights we have survived in the past few days, so even though the game is meant to be played with up to 3 players, you might want to check out our footage.

Verdict as of now

Dinosaurs have always fascinated us, that's why the Jurassic Park movies were so big when they were released, and that's why Turok was such a big hit on Nintendo 64. Second Extinction allows us to continue the fantasy by giving us the opportunity to face tons of dinos in an open world environment. There is a total of 3 different character classes, 4 heroes to choose from and a good selection of missions with different objectives. Only one map is available at the moment but we've been told that the team is actively working on the creation of new ones, which will undoubtedly add some welcome variety when it comes to the environments. For the moment, the game is a lot of fun to play, its over-the-top encounters work marvel, but it's hard to avoid the feeling of repetitiveness that may pop out after a few hours, especially if you want to play on your own (it's possible, it's still fun, but not just as fun as in co-op). Some won't mind going back for more, trying to find more resources to upgrade their weapons or simply trying to improve their score, but some might find the gameplay loop to wear thin a bit too quickly. Bear in mind that this is an early access version of the game though, which means it will get more content in the coming weeks and months. It's also important to understand that there is enough content to keep busy for hours, just be aware of the type of game Second Extinction is. There is some undeniable variety in the bestiary, with a good number of Raptor types that need to be dealt with differently, the infamous T-Rex, the good old Triceratops and one that looks a lot like the Ankylosaurus. Weapon feedback is good, explosions are plentiful and over-the-top and the pace is hectic most of the time, so if you're after a game that can provide some mindless fun, Second Extinction is just that. We wouldn't mind seeing a bit more efforts on story or lore, though it's clearly not indispensable in such a title, we think nights would be scarier if they were darker and forced players to use a torchlight, but Second Extinction definitively has some potential. Let's hope the full experience will prove us right when it becomes available.