Exoprimal there is hope preview
Games

Exoprimal – there is hope. preview

played on Xbox series S

As is so often the case with multiplayer projects, the audience’s opinion of Exoprimal was already formed during the announcement phase. Another service game with no story campaign, also sold at full price – not quite what you’d expect from Capcom. But there are dinosaurs in it that characters in exoskeletons fight with. But is that enough for success? After a couple of days in the beta, it’s difficult to draw any definitive conclusions – the game itself is fun, but some elements can negatively affect its future.

Dinosaurs are never too many

In the “Beta” there is only one mode, which will be the main one in the full version of Exoprimal – “Survival among dinosaurs”. This is PvPvE entertainment where each match is divided into two equal parts. First, both groups of five people carry out tasks independently of each other – more precisely, they run from one pointer to the other and defeat the dinosaurs. Then all participants teleport to another location and compete against each other – the blue team and the red team have to complete the given task faster than their opponents.

    Even a whole swarm of flying dinosaurs can't withstand a machine gun

Even a whole swarm of flying dinosaurs can’t withstand a machine gun

The first half of the game is classic cooperative PvE, reminiscent of Horde mode in Gears of War and similar entertainment in other games. When the squad gets to the next point, portals will begin to form above the ground, from which dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of dinosaurs will pop out. Performance at such moments does not drop (Capcom’s magic is in action), it’s fun to shoot, and there are enough types of creatures – there are huge dinosaurs that players catch with horns, and all kinds of snipers, “explosives”, invisible enemies, etc.

The faster a unit can handle PvE, the more likely it is to engage in PvP and gain an advantage. The conditions can be different: then each team pushes their box and must be the first to get it to the finish, then it is a question of collecting the energy scattered around the place, then eliminate opponents and charge the hammer that will give access to the next arena. The number of dinosaurs that appear at each step is by no means decreasing, but now not only they, but also competing players are causing problems. They can either simply disrupt you (e.g. destroy a crate that takes time to restore) or engage in targeted annihilation.

    The power of the cube and the time it takes to restore it are shown at the top of the screen

The power of the cube and the time it takes to restore it are shown at the top of the screen

There are still problems with PvE and PvP. The dino shooting that starts matches quickly becomes a chore – over time it feels like a long drag trying to have a conversation before getting into “real” mode with live opponents . This is mainly due to the monotony and uniformity of these missions – you do the same thing, walk the same paths and fight the same enemies. Maybe that will change in the full version – there will probably be different levels of difficulty and changing challenges. But if so, it would certainly have been demonstrated in the beta version.

The disadvantages of PvP will be well known to those who have played Overwatch 2 and other team multiplayer entertainment – if your team has a weak link, success is unlikely. You should not be a passive player here, because the games are chaotic: you need to move towards the target and actively shoot dinosaurs and, if possible, fight human opponents – in case of death on the battlefield, they will only return after 15 seconds , if their comrades don’t revive them. Unlike other similar action games, in Exoprimal it is much more difficult to understand whether your teammates are doing well or badly, so it is advisable to do your best and not to be distracted by others. Unless, of course, you’re playing as a medic or tank.

The losing team has the ability not only to summon big dinosaurs, but also to control them, adding even more chaos to the games. True, so far no one really knows how to play for them, so they do not pose a particular threat.

For every taste

All exoskeletons in Exoprimal are divided into three categories: attack aircraft, tanks and support characters. The former do the most damage, although they don’t seem to be well balanced. Sniper is a classic hero with a machine gun that can deal impressive damage at any distance, while Vigilant is similar to Widowmaker from Overwatch 2 – for a sniper rifle’s damage to be critical, you need to look through the scope and wait a few seconds before shooting. Against their background, Zephyr, wielding a sword, seems quite weak – in a crowd of dinosaurs, he dies quite quickly, although he is able to jerk in different directions to escape from danger.

There are also several tanks available. There is a barrier that the team can not only cover with a large shield, but also form a dome that protects against incoming damage. There’s a warrior armed with a superheated machine gun and homing missiles. And there’s Murasame – specifically for samurai lovers. He knows how to deflect attacks and cut opponents nicely with a katana. Support fighters also have enough unique abilities – some slow down enemies, some buff allies, and some weapons toggle between damage and healing.

    A flaming head exoskeleton does not provide access to a flamethrower, but you can throw grenades in it very often

A flaming head exoskeleton does not provide access to a flamethrower, but you can throw grenades in it very often

According to the descriptions, all these exoskeletons are very similar to characters from Overwatch 2 and Apex Legends, but you can’t draw such parallels in the game itself – after all, the environment is completely different. The main thing is that the gameplay for them is strikingly different. Vigilant, for example, creates icicles that freeze all dinosaurs in a small radius, and this ability pairs perfectly with the ability to unleash a beam of energy that explodes targets. And the barrier holding the shield attracts the attention of enemies and can charge with this shield, knocking back all the dinosaurs and dealing great damage to them. Each exoskeleton creates funny moments and situations in battle, so you won’t get bored experimenting with them. a long time ago. Also, you can freely switch between exoskeletons during the game if the team needs a tank or support.

Before starting Dino Survival, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with all the exoskeletons on the training ground. When something is done at a very high level in Exoprimal, it’s a proving ground where you can test absolutely anything. There are dozens of different objectives here – some slow moving, some running, some standing on hills – and all kinds of objectives and all support items like towers and summoned platforms. In games it is difficult to understand the characteristics of the costumes, since their abilities do not even have ordinary descriptions, but it is a pleasure to “feel” them on the training ground.

    What you won't see at the training ground are breathtaking moments when hundreds of dinosaurs fall from portals - at least for them it is worth starting the game

What you won’t see at the training ground are breathtaking moments when hundreds of dinosaurs fall from portals – at least for them it is worth starting the game

The beta version does not have a full-fledged progression system – levels are issued, but the things received cannot be used. Among them are modules with passive bonuses, emblems, some “war chests” (loot boxes?) and other items. In addition to player levels, there are levels of Survivor Pass – seemingly the local analogue of Battle Pass. I hope it will be free – the game is already expensive ($60).

***

And that’s probably Exoprimal’s main problem. The gameplay isn’t bad, in fact it’s good – I didn’t get tired of it in the three days that the beta test lasted. Fighting hordes of dinosaurs, especially when actively switching between exoskeletons, is fun – but not so much fun that Capcom wants to pay the price for the game. Lucky for Game Pass subscribers, they get the new product for free, but the rest should wait for the first reviews of the full version. At the very least, it wants to see different difficulty levels, several different modes, and an exciting progression system. If the Exoprimal release is as content-poor as the “beta” then chances are high that it will disappear like real dinosaurs. Only faster.

RELATED TOPICS

About the author

Alan Foster

Alan Foster covers computers and games and all the news in the gaming industry.

Add Comment

Click here to post a comment