Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

In Extremis throws you into the claustrophobic corridors of a derelict spacecraft as a lone, stranded pilot. Your primary objective is to explore each of the 29 levels, collect key cards, and insert them into terminals to receive level codes. These codes unlock weapons lockers, giving you access to an arsenal of tools essential for survival against the alien menace that invades the ship’s bowels.

What sets the gameplay apart is its emphasis on resource and inventory management. You must keep a constant eye on your suit’s air tanks, which steadily deplete in the vacuum of the damaged vessel. Swap out cylinders before they run dry, or risk suffocating in the darkness. Your suit’s integrated motion tracker and night-vision systems add another layer of strategy, draining replaceable batteries whenever you rely on them to detect alien movement or navigate pitch-black halls.

A further challenge comes from the alien nests scattered throughout the levels. These nests spawn waves of creatures until you deploy bombs—yet collecting and carrying enough demolition charges is itself a balancing act against limited inventory space. As you delve deeper, the demand for careful planning grows: should you use syringes to heal now, or save them for a potentially tougher firefight ahead?

Graphics

Technically, In Extremis resembles a modernized upgrade of the classic Wolfenstein 3-D engine, complete with fully textured walls and the option to apply floor and ceiling textures. The environments feel suitably oppressive, with steel plating, flickering hazard lights, and abruptly turning corridors that lean into the game’s maze-like structure.

The lighting system, while not dynamic in the modern sense, uses cleverly faked color shifts to simulate passing under red, green, or blue lights. This effect helps the atmosphere immensely, bathing sections of a level in an ominous tint and signaling danger zones without taxing your GPU. It’s a simple trick, but one that reinforces the sense of dread as you round each corner.

Architectural design remains limited to right angles, giving the ship’s interior a blocky, industrial look. While this constraint can make navigation feel repetitive, it also pays homage to the golden age of FPS games. Fans of retro shooters will appreciate the nostalgia, and newcomers will find the clean geometry easy to read in the heat of combat.

Story

At its core, In Extremis tells a straightforward tale: you are a pilot who crash-lands on a massive starship lost in the void, and your only goal is escape. There are no epic alien empires revealed, no political intrigues—just you, an airlock door, and a growing swarm of extraterrestrial threats. This minimalistic approach keeps the focus squarely on survival.

Environmental storytelling fills the gaps left by sparse dialogue or cutscenes. Scrawled warning signs, flickering computer terminals, and bloodstained corridors hint at what transpired on the vessel before your arrival. Discovering the aftermath of experiments gone wrong adds a layer of mystery, while the endless spawning of creatures from nests underscores the ship’s utter contamination.

Although the narrative is not the game’s most ambitious feature, it delivers enough context to make every corner worth exploring. Insignia on walls, half-decoded logs, and malfunctioning PA systems add depth to the setting, creating a coherent backdrop for your desperate struggle. If you’re looking for a story-driven FPS with branching plotlines, this might feel lean—but as a framework for relentless action, it works admirably.

Overall Experience

In Extremis succeeds as a throwback to classic maze-style shooters, enriched by resource management mechanics that heighten tension. Every decision—whether to swap batteries or squeeze off one more shot—carries weight. The constant drain on air and power ensures you never get too comfortable, and finding a stash of syringes or ammo feels genuinely rewarding.

The blend of simple yet effective graphics, tight corridors, and relentless alien waves delivers a pulse-pounding session of retro FPS action. While the 90-degree-angle architecture may seem dated, it fosters a familiar rhythm for veteran players and an accessible learning curve for newcomers. Levels are long, but cleverly designed so that backtracking through known areas feels like a strategic move rather than a chore.

Ultimately, In Extremis is a niche gem for fans of old-school shooters who crave resource-driven tension and atmospheric level design. It won’t redefine the genre, but it offers dozens of hours of solid, adrenaline-fueled exploration and firefights. If you’re after an honorable nod to the early days of FPS gaming—complete with key-card hunts, alien infestations, and claustrophobic corridors—this derelict vessel might just be the perfect place to get lost in.

Retro Replay Score

6/10