While the developers introduced many interesting improvements over the classic survival horror gameplay, Extermination conveys a gaming experience that is extremely close to the one of the first Dino Crisis. There are three different key configurations to choose from and all are very comfortable. You'll need just three or four minutes to have a good grip of the controls.

In the standard "A" key configuration you control your character using the left analog stick of the Dual Shock 2. Moving lightly the stick, Dennis will walk slowly; moving it further, Dennis will start running. During the explorations you will need just the left analog stick and the multi-purpose X button. Using the X button, you can perform normal actions like opening a door or grabbing a ladder, but, when needed, you can also jump. During the game you will have to test your skills in many dangerous jumps; this occasionally gives Extermination a touch of Tomb Raider that could irritate hardcore Survival Horror gamers. It's not fun to die after you have killed a dozen of enemies because you didn't take a good run-up. Anyhow, this makes the game less monotonous and more realistic in comparison with many other Survival Horror titles, where the hero seems to have his feet glued to the floor.

The other buttons are all used to fight the enemies. Speaking of one on one battles, Extermination is a clear improvement over any other survival horror game. Pressing the R1 button you can aim with your rifle and lock on a precise enemy in third person view. Pressing the R2 button you can aim and shoot from a first person view, exactly like in Metal Gear Solid 2. This first person view is necessary to kill the bigger creatures in the game. In fact, all the creatures in Extermination have only a weak point, a "core" that's hidden and unveiled only in certain moments during the fights. While smaller and faster creatures like mutated dogs or hydras (the most common enemy in the game, a sort of infective gigantic snail) will reveal their inner core more easily, thus making the lock on system the most effective way to kill them, in order to find the core of bigger creatures like human mutants you will need to aim carefully in first person view.

It's usually not an easy task to kill the creatures that infest the base. First, all of them are able to spit a corrosive fluid that infects living beings. Next to the classic life points, there is an infection indicator that you can see when you access your character stats with the triangle button. When the percentage of infection reaches 100 per cent, Dennis becomes a mutant, and it's game over. In order to avoid this, you have to find special rooms where a machinery called STM (Self-Treatment System) is held; when used with a special vaccine, the STM will completely cure the infection. You can also find vaccines able to work without the machinery, but there are just two or three of them in the whole game. Surprises don't stop here. While bigger creatures move usually slowly, sometimes they'll start running at you. All you have to do is to keep your blood cool and aim at their core as they are coming closer and closer. The A.I. of the bigger creatures is good, close to the one, excellent, used for the raptors in Dino Crisis. Sadly, when it comes to battles against three or more enemies at once, the control system of Extermination shows many annoying limits.

I will use a practical example, just to make things clear. In a certain point of the game, you enter a small dark room full of Hydras and other flying little enemies; using the third person view you can lock on a certain enemy, but since you are continuously attacked by other three or four little bastards spitting at you with their fluid, you don't have the time to aim at their core. In fact, each time you are attacked, you lose the enemy you were aiming at. This should force the player to use a different strategy, but in the long run you could be tempted to start smashing your TV with your controller, while white foam is squirting out of your mouth.

Another thing I didn't like in Extermination is the fact that you can't walk or run while you are using your weapons. And that's bad especially when you have to explore dark zones of the base, because the flashlight is attached to your rifle. For this reason you have to make a bit of light with the flashlight, then shut it off and start roaming in the dark.

Anyhow, the truth is that the battles in Extermination are far more interesting than those seen in Resident Evil. In Extermination you can't just enter a room and start shooting at your enemies because you have to consider many important factors like the A.I. of the different creatures, the possibility of being infected by their fluids, and the necessity to aim at their core.

Speaking of weapons, during the game you will use only one, the SPR4 military assault rifle. But don't worry: the SPR4 is fully customisable, and it can be transformed into a flame thrower or into what is called the Ultimate Launcher, a frightening powerful weapon. The SPR4 is made up by five different components that you can change during the game. You will find parts like the shotgun unit, which can be used as a secondary attack pressing the square button instead of the normal fire button, or parts like a zoom or a night visor that will make things much easier when aiming in first person view.

Overall, Extermination introduces many new ideas into the Survival Horror genre, and most of them are well implemented. The excellent support for the vibrating function of the Dual Shock 2 is another touch of class in a game developed with style.