Primal Carnage: Extinction

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
46

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 10
  3. Negative: 3 out of 10
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Dec 2, 2015
    60
    Primal Carnage: Extinction certainly sets itself apart from other online multiplayer shooters out there. With a few different modes and a couple of maps for each mode thrown in, there is some degree of fun to be had in the game. How long that fun lasts though is simply based on how much enjoyment a person can get out of online shooters in general, and just how much patience they have for balancing issues and mechanic design flaws.
  2. Brash Games
    Nov 29, 2015
    60
    It won’t keep you entertained for all that long, but while it lasts, this class-based online shooter delivers an oddly entertainingly, if undeniably average experience.
  3. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Oct 26, 2015
    60
    There is definitely some fun to be had in Primal Carnage: Extinction, especially on the dinosaurs’ side. There is a nice selection of modes, but when the end result is almost always the same it can get boring. Circle Five Studios has a fantastic premise for a game, it just needed some more time to incubate before it saw the light of day.
  5. Push Square
    Dec 15, 2015
    50
    Primal Carnage: Extinction feels like a great concept which has just not had enough "shine" put into the end product. Basic menus and average production values could be forgiven if the gameplay was killer, but dinosaurs deserve to be more badass and exciting than this. So while there is some dino fun to be had here, this is a game that will likely be left on the virtual shelf and left to turn extinct.
  6. TheSixthAxis
    Dec 4, 2015
    50
    If played with friends, it will serve up several hours of grin-inducing fun but beyond that very little else.
  7. COGconnected
    Nov 27, 2015
    50
    For what it costs, this is simply too generic and unimpressive. It feels dated and a little unfinished, leaving you wondering if it was supposed to come out five years ago.
  8. Multiplayer.it
    Nov 6, 2015
    50
    Primal Carnage: Extinction can be funny sometimes, but there are some flaws that make this game enjoyable only by die-hard dino fans.
  9. DarkStation
    Dec 12, 2015
    40
    Over and over, you think: people fighting dinosaurs! Awesome, right?! Then you come back to the reality of Primal Carnage: Extinction and kind of wish it was just an idea, because in your head it’s all shadowy, mist-filled jungles, stealthy dinosaurs, and soldiers with high-tech equipment and copious amounts of dread, waiting to kill or be killed. Suddenly the raptor’s head clips awkwardly through the tree and you remember where you are what you’re doing: playing a pretty mediocre video game version of a great idea.
  10. Metro GameCentral
    Nov 24, 2015
    40
    It’s a sad state for dinosaurs in video games when this shoddily-constructed, and almost irredeemably shallow, shooter is almost the only sign of a T-Rex we’ve had all year.
  11. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jan 23, 2016
    30
    A flimsy-feeling team shooter that squanders an appealing premise in a mess of poor controls and design. This is one set of dinosaurs that should be put to rest. [Jan 2016, p.91]
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User Reviews

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User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 21
  3. Negative: 6 out of 21
  1. silly_monkey56
    Nov 5, 2015
    5
    Primal Carnage: Extinction is a multiplayer class based FPS/third-person action game in which a team of humans and a team of dinosaurs fightPrimal Carnage: Extinction is a multiplayer class based FPS/third-person action game in which a team of humans and a team of dinosaurs fight in one of four game modes. The game was first released on PC, and was recently released here, on the PS4. Was it worth it? Read on to find out:

    (TL;DR at bottom of review)

    The game is a mere $20, a decent price for a video game nowadays, especially now that games have had $80 base price tags lately, no DLC. Hence, twenty bucks for a game is indeed a welcome sight. However, with a budget price, you can probably guess as to what the game is probably like.

    As previously stated, the game has 4 modes: Team Deathmatch, Get to the Chopper, Free Roam, and Survival. The former three game modes are team based: a team of humans versus a team of dinosaurs. Within these teams, there are multiple classes:

    As a human, you can choose from these classes:

    -Pathfinder
    A native american man who wields a shotgun, a desert eagle, and one of two throwables: tomahawks or flares. Flares come in handy, as they can blind dinosaurs, helping you to escape. This class is my personal favorite.

    -Commando
    Your run-of-the-mill army dude. He carries an assault rifle, with a grenade launcher attachment. The grenade launcher is useful for taking large chunks out of a Tyrant class dino's health. It is also good for taking out groups of Novaraptors.

    -Scientist
    A sniper rifle-toting paleontologist chick. In addition, she also carries a tranquilizer gun, which slows dinosaurs by draining their stamina. It also disorients them.

    -Pyro
    Exactly what you think. Carries a flamethrower/chainsaw, as well as a flare gun. I think this class also carries a grenade, but that might just be the pc version.

    -Trapper
    Using his net gun, the Trapper can ensnare and immobilize smaller dinosaur classes, like novaraptors and pteranodons. The gun can also temporarily disable a Tyrant's bite attack. He wields two pistols as a secondary weapon.

    In the PC version, all these classes carry melee weapons. In the PS4 version, this was omitted. Why? Beats the hell out of me (pun possibly intended).

    As a dinosaur, the following classes are available to pick from:

    -Predator
    There are two species within the Predator class: the Novaraptor and the Oviraptor. These two species play exactly the same, the only difference between them being their special abilities: Novaraptors have a frenzy mode, which sacrifices agility for damage. As for Oviraptor, I have no idea what its ability is. When I use it, nothing seems to happen. Maybe it gives a buff to other dinosaurs?

    -Spitter
    The Dilophosaurus and Cryolophosaurus make up the spitter class. As you might have guessed, these dinos can spit at humans. Dilos spit blinding poison, while Cryos spit corrosive acid.

    -Flyer
    Pteranodon and Tupandactylus. A pteranodon can pick up humans and drop them, which can kill them if you can lift them high enough. Tupas cannot do this, however they deal more damage.

    -Bruiser
    The carnotaurus. A medium dinosaur that can ram humans and send them flying. Its special ability will cause it to restore health with every landed hit.

    -Tyrant
    Tyrants consist of the T. Rex, Spinosaurus, and Acrocanthosaurus. All three of these dinosaurs can bite (obviously), which kills in one hit. The T.Rex can whip its tail, the Spino can slash with its claws, and the Acro can stomp and send groups of humans flying.

    With classes out of the way, it's time to explain game modes. Team Deathmatch is self explanatory; two teams fighting for most kills. Get to the Chopper involves the humans attempting to escape via helicopter by securing checkpoints, whilst dinosaurs try to stop them. Free Roam is fun for messing around and chilling as a dinosaur (or fighting for dear life as a human). Survival is the only mode which involves one small team of four humans against waves of AI controlled dinosaurs, similar to CoD's Nazi Zombies mode.

    The graphics are quite good, especially for a budget game like this one. They could be better, especially on PS4, but for $20 they are quite decent.

    While that's all well and good, there are more than a few problems with this game. It is riddled with bugs: sometimes I can't switch my weapon, and sometimes I can't reload. I have also had my crosshair disappear. There is also no team balancing, so you will more often than not have 2 or 3 less humans than dinosaurs. The problem with this is that playing a human is difficult and requires skill, while dinos are quite the contrary. Another issue is the stability of servers. I constantly get disconnected, usually halfway through a match. This never happens to me on the PC version.

    TL;DR: All in all, this is an alright game for its price, but it feels like a very cheap and lazy port of the PC version. If you are a fan of dinosaurs like me, you will get some enjoyment out of it. However, if you are looking for a flawless multiplayer game, look elsewhere, or look into getting the PC ver    … Full Review »
  2. JurassicClark
    Jul 7, 2016
    2
    As somebody who loves dinosaurs, and was around to see the original Primal Carnage develop and grow, I am utterly disappointed. Not becauseAs somebody who loves dinosaurs, and was around to see the original Primal Carnage develop and grow, I am utterly disappointed. Not because the game is bad, not because I didn't enjoy it when I first played it, but because there are absolutely NO dedicated servers, you cannot play any match without other players teleporting across the screen, your hits missing, and you dying from hits you can't even see a lot. This is game breaking, and honestly trashes what could vbe an amazing game. I can't even pull my PS4 close to the router to get a better connection, that's how bad the server system is. Until this game receives a better way to play, it's a crippled online shooter, and deserves no good reviews for it. Sorry to say, because I love dinosaurs and dinosaur video games, but I am totally and utterly stunned nobody thought that "Hey, maybe our server system might get in the way of gameplay."

    I'm giving this game 2 stars only because it is a good game, when your connection is also good. Some matches I've played were quite enjoyable, however most of the time they are not. Do not buy this game unless something changes in how it's games are set up.    … Full Review »
  3. Varcomm
    Nov 16, 2015
    7
    The game has its moments. Although it's a bit buggy and plagued with some unbalance between different character classes, it still manages toThe game has its moments. Although it's a bit buggy and plagued with some unbalance between different character classes, it still manages to be enjoyable. It's far from perfect, but quite a bit better than other 'dinosaur v human' style games that I've encountered.… Full Review »
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