Extermination takes a page from Resident Evil, D2, Carrier, Blue Stinger and John Carpenter's horror classic The Thing to create a third person survival horror game set in a snowy wasteland somewhere in the Antarctica. As a member of The United States Marines Special Forces Reconnaissance, you are required to dispatch to a top-secret facility on the continent of Antarctica to investigate a distress signal. Upon arrival, it becomes quickly apparent that something horrible has happened to the facility and it's occupants. Further investigation reveals that some sort of science-disaster has occurred and that humans are mutating into creatures thanks to some sort of leaked alien virus.
The marketing campaign for Extermination pushes a "panic action" feel to the game but behind the posters, what we really have is a survival horror game complete with some tension.

Graphics
The visuals are a mixed bag. While not bad by any means, something appears missing as the game progresses. The visuals begin by impressing with smooth polygon surfaces and clean textures. The problem is as the game goes on these visuals become boring and repetitive. Part of this problem is due to uninspiring enemies. They are not poorly rendered or conceived but rather very predictable. You get the zombie-type enemies, dog-type enemies and worm-like enemies all in what is now generic horror encounters. The monster designs are a mixture of those found in the popular Dreamcast games Blue Stinger and Carrier. While the environments tend to be on the bland side, they do however serve an excellent purpose in hiding and camouflaging enemies. More than a few scares are a direct result of this design. Deep Space, the developer, has done a nice job of utilizing some of the PS2's lighting effects. There are a number of dark areas that require the use of a light scope. The gun-mounted torch is effective, producing a focused single spotlight as well as a faint illumination to the rest of the area. Deep Space also took a page from Hideo Kojima by using some nice weather effects in the outside levels. Instead of having rain splat on the screen, snow is blowing everywhere causing some anxiety of the unknown creatures lurking in the cold.

Sound
The soundtrack is a mixture of eerie pieces mixed with fast paced, action oriented tracks. Together they both work well to convey the snowy, claustrophobic wasteland that players must endure. The sound effects have also been down quite well with loud explosions and ear piercing gun fire. Unfortunately things go downhill with the voice acting. When you have high valued productions like Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil, everything that follows must at least maintain or even surpass those high points. The voice acting and non-existent lip synching make the already weak dialogue laughable while the same time destroying moments of tension in what is supposed to be a nail-biting experience.

Gameplay
For fans of the survival horror genre, you have been there and done that in most of Extermination. Deep Space has however thrown in a few elements found in other genres in an attempt to deepen the gameplay experience and add to a somewhat questionable plot. The in game controls are easy to use and navigate through the various menus. Finally a developer that has abandoned the dreaded digital pad in favor of analog control. Moving the character is a breeze. My only complaint has to do with the action button. The action button does a lot more than open doors. It also serves as a jump button where jumping is needed. The problem is there are a few instances where I thought I could jump and my character did nothing more than run off the cliff or edge. Death at the hands of a design flaw is never pretty. The weapons system utilizes a main gun that has a number of upgrade parts that can be interchanged throughout the game. The usual array of finding passcode cards, key discs and documents takes up most of the gameplay while the plot unfolds in various CG cut scenes. There are a few twists thrown in for good effect. For example, the fear of alien infection is present and works well as not only are you concerned about your health but you also have to contend with possible viral infection and infestation. The puzzles present in the game are limited due to a very heavy tip off system thanks to the characters basically telling you what to do next. Less obvious hints and objectives would have made the game a little more engaging. Unlike the popular trend of controlling multiple characters, Extermination is a single character adventure.

Value
Unlike the Resident Evil series, Extermination offers little beyond a one time through the game. There are a number of hidden dog tags to collect and your timing is displayed upon completion but neither effect the ending or open any additional gameplay modes. Thus, many will complain that the game is a bit thin after clearing the game in around 20 hours or less. Alternate costumes or objectives would have deepened the replay value of the game.

Final Word
Extermination is not a bad game but rather it lacks imagination in a genre that is perhaps coming to the end of its rope. Deep Space had a great premise to work from but their vision was not completely realized in their final product. As a result, Extermination is somewhat of a missed opportunity. Regardless, Extermination is enjoyable. Fans of the genre will not go wrong with a purchase while waiting for the next installment of Capcom's aging Resident Evil series. Casual gamers unsure of survival horror games should rent first.