3XTINCTION Review

When it comes to twin-stick shooters, I tend to gravitate straight towards them. There is just something about them, whether it is trying run after run on an experience like Geometry Wars or wasting hours on Vampire Survivors. It is a genre I love. 3XTINCTION from 2BAD Games caught my eye after glancing at the screenshots, simply down to its top-down view and the art style.

The fact that this one features online and split-screen co-op also sets it apart from many other similar games out on the market, so I had to give this one some of my precious gaming time. Retailing at a rather reasonable £8.39, it won’t break the bank for several hours of fun. If you want to support the developers then there is a deluxe version which grants cosmetic items, this DLC can also be purchased separately.

Stop Messing About With Spiders!

After a series of experiments with spiders goes wrong, there has been an infectious outbreak. You can guess what is coming next, hordes of undead! If you’re not fond of spiders then a fair few appear here, but don’t fret too much as you’ll be blasting them away in a moreish gameplay loop. The premise is very simple and that is to survive the waves, utilise money to invest in defence and resources between and ensure you’re strong enough to survive the masses who will try and turn you into one of them.

Everything is played from a top-down perspective and there is a short tutorial at the beginning which will explain the control scheme and how to invest in gear between rounds. If you decide to play on your own then the second player assisting you will be controlled by the AI, but of course, you can bring real players to the game either with a second controller or online. I was amazed that we had online functionality here, as so many great indie games cut their games short by not introducing it to their games.

Invest Your Cash Wisely

You’ll get a break between each wave and you can use currency earned in each round to purchase items. This could be simply additional health, armour or the usual necessities. However, you could choose to buy some construction items such as barbed wire, turrets and more to give you an advantage as each wave gets busier. You’ll want to do as much as possible to slow the enemy down.

There’s More!

If you tire of the main mode then there are a couple of additional options to mix up the gameplay a little. You can play as the infected and survive for as long as you possibly can or you can capture zones and hold them, but no building allowed in this game mode!

Visuals & Audio

When it comes to the visuals 2Bad Games have done a sterling job with the presentation. Whilst all the assets and environments look fairly basic and simplistic, the lighting and layout of each area are wonderfully illustrated. It reminded me of the days of playing Java games on sites like Miniclip and I always wanted them to look and play this good, but they never did the job.

There is a generous spread of enemy variance and they all react in different manners when they swarm towards you. The gameplay feels a little like if Call Of Duty did a top-down zombie mode. The audio performs as well as I anticipated and matches the tone and atmosphere of the chaos on screen, creating that high adrenaline feeling.

Final Thoughts

3XTINCTION is a fun time whether you’re playing alone or with friends. I enjoyed its simplistic nature but also how challenging it could be at the same time. For the price point, you’re getting a good amount of content here with plenty to unlock along the way. Not only have 2BAD Games created a solid twin-stick shooter that looks fantastic, but it plays well too. If you’re one of those gamers who is constantly seeking out co-op titles to play, then you’ll find some enjoyment from this one. Equally, though, you can have a great few sessions if you’re going lone soldier. For those on the PC side of the fence who may be reading this, I believe the game lands on Steam in February 2025, so not long to wait.