This prequel to 2008's fantastic survival horror game provides an entertaining and absorbing ride.
As soon as Extraction begins, it's evident it's unlike other rail shooter on the Wii, with a large focus on story and a strong cinematic atmosphere. Set before the original, the game details the events leading up to and during the fall of the massive mining ship, the USG Ishimura, beginning with the discovery of the mysterious alien artifact, the Marker. The four main characters are easily likable (Well, some of them) and developed throughout the game, with some interesting twists and turns along the way, with one surprise that I certainly didn't see coming which was a very "Wow" moment. One other very cool thing about this game is visiting some of the more memorable locations from Dead Space, and even affecting Isaac's journey (such as building the barricade that Isaac must later find a way to get through).
Gameplay-wise, Extraction uses the basic formula of other rail shooters; You can find various weapons, some new and some old, to use against waves of enemies. Collecting ammo and supplies is a-plenty, however like it's predecessor there are audio and text logs scattered around the environments that can be picked up to get a deeper insight into the back story.
The series' unique dismemberment-based combat is still here, with headshots proving useless against the Necromorph enemies, which you must instead hack into pieces with a variety of weapons. What I found great about this game is that there are plenty of weapons that have their various uses, unlike Dead Space in which every weapon became obsolete in the wake of the Plasma Cutter. The scares are lacking in the game, however there are some truly creepy moments that usually take place in the hallucinogenic state caused by the Marker.
Graphically, the game looks great. With great character models and enemies that behave very much so like their 360/PS3 counterparts, as well as some nice environments. The great art direction of the original game is still here, with it's dark yet sleek sci-fi setting and disturbing enemies.
Alas, the game has it's cons. Interestingly enough, one of my complaints with this game is the same as that of the first; There are not enough boss fights. And even when there are bosses, they are usually just gigantic lumps of flesh with tentacles that require little effort to defeat. It'd be far better if there were more bosses like the Hunter from the original, who are creative and challenging (not to mention scary). I also encountered one freeze which was quite annoying, as I had to start the level over due to the lack of selectable checkpoints.
The game is rather short, with the campaign lasting about 8-10 hours, but there are some extra challenge modes which might keep you entertained for a while. Also included is the animated comic series, a nice addition if you enjoy the lore of Dead Space.
That being said, Dead Space: Extraction's combination of cinematic story and fun, gory gameplay makes it a very recommendable title for the Wii, especially so for fan's of rail shooters. If you loved the first game and own a Wii, you'll definitely want to check this out.