Exoprimal is a chaotic online multiplayer experience so far | Hands-on impressions
While many Capcom fans are currently focusing on the Resident Evil 4 remake, Exoprimal currently has its open beta underway. The PvPvE 5v5 online shooter is utterly bonkers, and more often than not, I found myself spamming the trigger button during some chaotic gunfights, but there is something there for players who want to team up with friends this weekend. It may not be everyone’s choice when it comes to online shooters, and it’s not without its problems, however, there’s still time for some of the issues to be ironed out before launch.
In ‘Dino Survival,’ the one mode available to me in my preview, I joined a team of five as we took on wave upon wave of dinosaurs, before entering into a final battle that saw me not only trying to dispose of dinos, but the opposing team as well. Before joining a game, I was introduced to the main mechanics of Exoprimal is a tutorial that threw a lot at me, yet gave me a general outline of all the three main classes available: Assault, Tank, and Support. Each have different ‘heroes’ within the class, all with specific moves and abilities to make matches varied.
When I finally got into Dino Survival, I went with one of the Assault classes coolest looking characters. Deadeye uses an assault rifle, has a grenade launcher that can dispatch multiple dinosaurs at once, and a powerful laser that can clear anything in its path. Their ‘ultimate’ also allowed me to get in close and smash the crap out of enemies. During the stages of the mode, glowing purple spheres open up in the sky, and tons of dinosaurs pour out of them. Your job is to kill them quicker than the opponent by using all five of your team’s abilities to do so. With so much chaos on screen at any one time, I was never really sure how we were working together tactically, as it all happens so quickly.
I just made sure to blow up and kill as many dinosaurs as I could. If I was to play with friends as opposed to strangers, I can see how certain classes might work well together, but the action is so fast-paced, you’ll be giving out orders slowly that the act of wiping out the waves of dinosaurs would be happening. Still, throwing a grenade into a swarm of velociraptors and watching them fly through the air is an awesome sight. These waves do feel wholly weak compared to my powerful attacks, but when one of the waves sees you try and take out a massive triceratops or T-Rex, the challenge becomes greater.
The final stage will pit you against dinosaurs, but it’ll also challenge you to take out player-controller heroes. This stage felt like the most enjoyable as there was more at stake, not to mention being where the real strategy comes into play. It’s also worth mentioning how well Exoprimal performs. With so much happening on screen at any one time, it never failed in performance, with bullets flying in every direction, dinosaurs jumping at you from every direction, and carnage all around you. There’s certainly room for it to grow, and when it drops on Xbox Game Pass, it’ll be interesting to see how its player base does.
Exoprimal has potential, but I feel at this stage it needs more modes to provide an idea as to whether I’ll want to keep playing. Dino Survival is enjoyable, if a little chaotic, yet the variety in classes offer different ways to approach the waves of enemies. Some of the tanks became favourites of mine, specifically Roadblock, and when the bulk of the modes become available, I’ll be happy to get stuck in and give them a go. If you’re planning on jumping in, make sure you play with friends as there’ll be more opportunities to approach with strategy. Still, there’s a fun time to be had, and with more time under your belt, the nuances in enemy attacks and using abilities will start to show.
Exoprimal is coming to PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles on July 14th.
