Interview: Extinction Rifts Raises Your Character Strength As You Execute Combos

Fernando: Hello there! I’m Fernando Tittz, the Co-Creator, Lead Developer, Programmer, and Game Designer behind Extinction Rifts. I wear tons of hats and do a lot of stuff inside the game. From the creation of a new idea to executing it, I’m deeply involved in the process and helping to make it all happen 😀  

Fernando: I’ve always been a combo freak when it comes to video games; I love to do them on fighting games and arcade-style games. I don’t know why, but something in my brain just clicks when it comes to combos.

And when we were finishing the core content of our last game, MARS 2120 which features a combo system, I had a spark in my mind of a completely combo-focused game. I just didn’t know at the time that it would become a FPS.

Then later on, QUByte interactive allowed Gabriel Volpe (the 3D artist of the game) to come up with experimental ideas for new titles, and one of the suggestions was exactly an FPS, so when we started to brainstorm several ideas, the combo-based FPS came out!

Fernando: The influence of classic shooters is tied up to the core of the game itself, in the sense that the gameplay comes first, and you won’t be bothered by unnecessary distractions while playing; it’s a very “plug-and-play”/straightforward game where you select the level, choose your weapons and go for it!

Fernando: We actually want to encourage the player to extinguish the enemies instead of becoming extinct so that the player can feel more aggressive.

Fernando: The monoliths suddenly appeared on earth. This shocked everyone, and so factions and organizations started to debate on what should be done about them. No one knew about their origin and power, so everyone was scared about it

During these early days, a faction with a bad reputation among the others named “New World” took a big risk and stole several monoliths

Everyone believes that their goal is to achieve a controlled human extinction, and so the faction “Gun Heaven” (where the main characters belong) decides to fight them and destroy every monolith!

Operation “Last Breath” is the name of the mission that G-04 (The main character of the game) is tasked with. The main objective is to destroy every monolith to avoid a controlled human extinction.

Fernando: To utilize the extinction punch you will have to be very cautious not to take damage and also very focused to not drop your combo. The strategies are usually connected to the equipment you select, and we are balancing the game so every strategy feels effective. This is just a very simple example, but please try other stuff around when you get to play

Equip the “Revolver” as your primary weapon (High damage)

Equip the “SMG” as your secondary weapon (Low damage)

Equip “Toxic” as your special skill (Poison cloud that deals continued Damage)

Use the SMG to increase your combo by shooting the enemies multiple times, switching to the revolver whenever you are in danger or need to deal a higher damage, and whenever you find several enemies use the toxic skill to deal continued damage and also shoot them to make a higher combo.

Each weapon deals with a different number of combo hits, so you can still use weapons like the Sniper and Shotgun. They are High-damaging weapons and are still efficient for combos.

Fernando: The Extinction Gauntlet or Adreno-Gauntlet is the only gear that can destroy a monolith. It has a secret technology that is tied up to the G-04 (the main character) adrenaline; whenever you deal damage, your adrenaline increases and this is shown to the player as the combo count.

The higher the combo count, the stronger your punch gets. This will be very important to the game’s narrative because if you don’t have a high enough combo by the end of the level, you won’t be able to destroy a certain monolith. Also, the required combo amount to destroy a monolith may vary throughout the levels.

Fernando: The main features that contribute to the replayability are

Secrets: There are several secrets in the game that the player may not find on the first playthrough

Unlocks: Some weapons and special skills need to be unlocked during the gameplay; some of them require a rank, and some require finding secrets

Rank Hunt: As you play the game, you will be encouraged to get a higher rank

Play Style Variety: Before every level, you need to select all your gear. This is your “Build.” Different weapons and skill combinations create new strategies that you may try

All I can say about the multiple endings is that they will be unlocked depending on the player’s performance.

Fernando: I believe that one of the aspects that keeps the gameplay smooth and engaging is actually having to plan before playing, so when you select a level, you can read its lore, check your highlights (For example, highest combo, best time), and then when you’re selecting your equipment and thinking about the strategy you are also relaxing a bit.

Another thing that might keep it fresh is the unlockables that you will always be seeking until you have every weapon and skill. This can even promote more relaxed playthroughs where you’re not caring for the combo and specifically looking for every secret.

Overall, the pace of the game is actually up to the player. We are not forcing anyone to read the lore or item descriptions; we are giving some options, and our idea is not to force a way to play but to encourage them to try different ways. If you’re on a rampage, go for it! If you’re in a more relaxed mood, go for it as well.

Fernando: I want to thank you for the space, and I hope that you are all looking forward to Extinction Rifts! I’m also very excited to see people trying to get the S+ Rank and curious about the possible speedrun.