Exoprimal: A Breath of Fresh Air in the World of Multiplayer Hero Shooters
Heavy rainfall in Sydney, Australia, creates a portal to another dimension leading to a dinosaur invasion in Exoprimal. Seeking exosuit pilots, a mysterious organization seeks to combat the threat while also preventing a rogue AI from destroying everything. Yes, this is a very silly premise, but that’s exactly what makes Exoprimal such a breath of fresh air.
Initially, I was skeptical of Capcom’s decision to create a game featuring dinosaurs outside of the Dino Crisis franchise. However, Exoprimal’s satirical approach and self-awareness of Multiplayer tropes bring a refreshing perspective to the genre. The game’s narrative justifies the repetitive nature of the gameplay, as players search for glitches in the AI’s programming.
The AI, named Leviathan, has trapped players and their squad on a remote island with an anomaly causing dinosaur outbreaks. Multiplayer elements come into play as two teams of five compete to complete objectives, fight dinosaurs, and confront rival players, who are also part of the squad.
With each match, the narrative progresses with cutscenes bookending the gameplay and introducing new characters. The game’s humorous Australian character adds charm, although his fate may involve a dramatic sacrifice to a T-Rex. It remains uncertain if the story will continue beyond a certain point or if Capcom plans to introduce themed seasonal updates. The presence of a battle pass and progression paths for exosuits suggest potential for exciting future developments.
The upcoming collaboration with Street Fighter 6, featuring robotic versions of Ryu and Ken, adds to the game’s silliness. I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I’m enjoying Exoprimal so far. While it’s too early to determine if the game will hold long-term interest, my initial impressions are surprisingly positive.
The AI’s sarcastic commentary and false reality setting critique the prevalence of live-service games, which often rely on repetitive gameplay to keep players engaged. Exoprimal embraces its status as a squad-based hero shooter, and time will tell if its self-awareness and humor will attract and retain an audience.
While there are numerous similarities to other games, including Warframe, it offers enough unique elements to warrant a look. The gameplay offers a variety of satisfying exosuit variants and the thrill of battling hordes of dinosaurs emerging from portals. The narrative, coupled with the self-aware commentary from the AI, elevates the experience and brings a new perspective to the genre.
While the game’s flaws are immediately apparent, Exoprimal is an interesting experiment with potential. Capcom has created a game that feels like a bizarre piece of digital performance art filled with dinosaurs. If that isn’t worth a few hours of your time, I’m not sure what is.
