When you think of Capcom today, you probably think of Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and Monster Hunter. While the company does place these three franchises on a pretty high pedestal, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for some new concepts.
Enter Exoprimal, a player-versus-player-versus-environment game that pits you and other player teams against enemy squads and hordes of dinosaurs as you struggle to complete challenges set by evil AI. The game is due out in July, but we’ve managed to get our hands on it for a quick preview of its dino survival multiplayer mode.
Right off the bat, the first thing that seems clear about Exoprimal is that it has a lot going for it. There’s the world-building element of the AI Leviathan, the corporation that made it and the technology-dependent world, but also dealing with a massive outbreak of dinosaurs that can only be defeated by Exofighters piloting a suit. In the substance of the game, beyond the context of the game, there’s a lot to take in, including the types of reptilian enemies you’ll face, the many objectives you’ll have to complete, and 10 different outfits to choose from, Each fits into one of three categories and has its own strengths and weaknesses.
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The concept of Exoprimal sounds like it was at a Capcom board meeting where higher-ups just said yes to every idea they came up with, but despite the sheer volume of stuff here, it doesn’t overwhelm. There are a lot of different systems at play here, but even though we tried as many coats as possible, each one has fairly simple abilities that are immediately playable, it feels like the more time you put in the better the coat you choose .
When entering Exoprimal and going into the first few games, it was initially worrying that all those flashy effects and cool dinosaurs were just Capcom putting gloss on a very superficial experience. However, while the first stages of the game may have you killing hordes of dinos and then the occasional tuatara, it’s the final aspect of dino survival that really matters, and you’ll be facing off against the enemy team while still dealing with The reptilian threat you fought before.
From lifting the sledgehammer to escorting the payload, there are many ways Exoprimal’s final scene can end, but it always ends with two teams shooting and chopping each other to pieces. While the final action is varied and fun, it can make the early stages of the game feel a bit flat and repetitive, especially when it feels like you’re just trying to do one part of the game in order to move on to another. Without the enemy team directly involved in this first segment, it sometimes feels like padding.
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When you’re culling dinos in a given area, there are a number of ways your enemies can try to hinder your progress, but this is done through external interference, such as buffing the dinos you have to face or slowing your progress. Beating the first stage faster than the enemy does give you a head start on the final sprint, but it also feels like there might be more to it than just filling time for the end of the race. There are a lot of dinosaurs, and the designs are certainly visually impressive, but they’re not all that dangerous.
Exoprimal seems to rely heavily on a “cool” factor. You’re piloting a mech suit and fighting dinosaurs with some sweet guns and swords. You can even control the dinosaurs late in the game, which proves to be a pretty fun experience, almost akin to Valve’s failed shooter Evolve, in that you’re stomping on a mostly helpless enemy team. Still, since only one dino-lover can be picked up at a time, we can imagine that people will be bickering over who is the T-Rex in a matter of minutes.
Exoprimal’s beta testing in no way gave us a complete picture of the game. There are plenty of other modes to play as well, with additional options to enhance gameplay in the final release in July. But, as a first impression, Exoprimal seems to have a lot going for it at the moment. It’s a shame the halftime game feels like filler in its flagship mode, Dinosaur Survival, but so far, the fast-paced gameplay and zest of life that the variety brings still keeps me entertained with this game in months. Interested in the look of the back.
