1 
0 Level Zero: Extraction is a multiplayer tactical shooter with survival horror elements. Developed by Doghowl Games and published by tinyBuild, Level Zero: Extraction is currently in early access and available on Steam for £16.75.
Get that data at any cost
After scientific expeditions to discover a new lifeform, New Horizons Corporation breed the discovered alien lifeforms with humans for military experiments. Now Megacorps across the world are sending Mercenaries (or Mercs) to retrieve that data for themselves. Play as a Merc versing both other Mercs and Aliens, or play as an Alien to hunt down every human on sight.
Merc Gameplay
A Merc’s goal is to retrieve data or items wanted in the Contract Menu and exit the area. Before entering a mission, you can choose which weapons and items you’d like to take. While retrieving data is simply the gameplay loop, Contract Menu items reward you with things such as weapon parts or Neurochips. Neurochips will add modifications to your Merc (such as enhanced speed), but are not yet available in the Early Access game. Contracts are optional and are ultimately there to net you more rewards.
However, nothing is ever that simple. Some exits have specific requirements before you can use them. You’ll also have to navigate the area with caution, and your flashlight! The areas are excruciatingly dark and filled with other Mercs, Aliens, turrets and humanoid monsters. As you can imagine these are all out to get you. Keep Medkits and Flares handy, as alongside the flashlight these are the only other non weaponised defences. Additionally, you have a heartbeat monitor. This is something to keep aware of as the Aliens can sense if your in-game heart rate becomes too high.
Alien Gameplay
An Alien’s sole purpose is to kill all humans on sight. Aliens can see and sense in the dark, and move faster while crawling. Aliens also have boosted powers they can use, such as Spit or EMP. However these abilities consume Energy when used. Energy slowly recharges over time, but you can also eat eggs to expand the size of your Energy bar. Whilst monsters, drones and turrets won’t attack you, the light is the Alien’s biggest weakness. Whilst you can use vents to navigate around fatal well-lit areas, beware flashlights and flares as these can also kill you.
Longevity
The overall longevity of Level Zero: Extraction comes down to the player at the end of the day. I played for a few matches as the Merc and then as the Alien. I found this was enough for me. There are cosmetics available, unlockable through some good old grinding. However with the game in it’s current state I would say these are not worth it, as personally I didn’t think they looked that great. As I’ve mentioned the game is still in early access and the developers have said there is still more to come. If you were interested in learning more about the direction of the game, a road map can be found on the Steam page.
Final Thoughts
Personally I didn’t enjoy Level Zero: Extraction. I found my time playing the game as a Merc was terrible. This was due to the gun wobbling and the environment being pitch black. This provided a big problem. Not only did I struggle navigating around but I also struggled to find any loot. Even when I blindly stumbled across any, extracting the loot was equally excruciating. To the point where I didn’t even manage to extract any. Not even once.
Playing as the Alien was just as terrible a experience. Your attacks don’t deal much damage. Your abilities take forever to recharge. And light sources effectively insta-kill you. I would use my acid spit to knock out flares from the Mercs, just for another Merc to light up another flare instantly. You can respawn once you die. However running around looking for eggs to help your energy bar becomes too much of a chore.
Overall, I found Level Zero: Extraction unbalanced in gameplay but interesting in concept. If you’re a fan and enjoy extraction shooters, then it is worth checking out. I would, however, wait to pick up the game. As Level Zero: Extraction has only just released into early access, waiting until a little later into its life cycle gives the developers some more time to fix what needs fixing and roll out the Neurochip mechanism.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast
About Author
