2023-07-14 12:00:09
Exoprimal, Capcom’s foray into the PvPvE world, relies on what I like to call the Pacific Rim effect. This 2013 movie regarding giant robots battling Godzilla-like monsters will never send us into an existential crisis, but it will deliver perfectly insane action that will make you feel like you’re back in your childhood bedroom mashing plastic figures together. This is what I expected when I first stepped into Exoprimal, really. It has some sweet mechs, an interesting premise, and the promise of exciting action. As we’ll see in this review, the Exoprimal certainly hits the mark in many ways, but also has a few issues rooted at its core that have persisted throughout the time I’ve used it. First, though, a quick note before we begin. Exoprimal’s servers officially went live on July 14th. This is when it will be accessible to everyone, us included, and while I’ve spent as much time in the game as I can, and played it in preview builds before, I haven’t come across everything it has to offer. Consider this an initial review, if you will, and should be updated if my opinion of the game changes. However, with the time I’ve spent so far, I doubt I’ll have an epiphany with this game. Here’s an ad: On the surface, Exoprimal’s premise is simple. You’re an alien warrior, pilot of any of the game’s ten suits, and your mission is to kill dinosaurs and conduct scientific research for an artificial intelligence called Leviathan. However, you are not a willing participant in the Leviathan war game and have been dragged there along with thousands of Exofighters from other dimensions. This is just the tip of the surprising iceberg in Exoprimal’s story. Its setting is pretty wacky, but we can forgive that given the premise. With a larger-than-life cast of characters, and a plot that feels ripped straight from a B-grade action movie (in the best possible way), I do find myself hooked, and check out this as we explore Biquitoa, the dinosaurs And in the course of the mystery behind Leviathan, what happens next with our ragtag crew. In order to get the cutscenes and advance the story, you have to sneak into the dinosaur Suvia, which is really the only thing to do in Exoprimal. It boils down to you and four other teammates taking down hordes of dinos, plus the occasional big boss, and then you face off once morest the enemy team (or none, if you choose the PvE only option) in a chaotic final sprint to win the war game. As I said before, the mech you choose is a visual treat, each with its own unique abilities and playstyle. For example, Deadeye is a typical soldier mech with an assault rifle and grenade launcher, while Barrage deals massive AoE damage with his explosives. Even within the mech’s three brackets (Damage, Tank, and Support), you’ll find a wide variety of playstyles. Some like to get up close and personal, while others can drift in the sky forever. Fun and gorgeous effects follow everything you do in Exoprimal, and they all look great in-game. From the basic dinosaurs introduced to the deadlier new dragons that will be discovered later on, the enemy design is almost as good as the mechs themselves, and even from a gameplay standpoint, the maps do often feel like you’re just running down the same corridors, but they Each has its own immersive and impressive visuals. Here’s an ad: So, where does it all fall apart? Well, unfortunately, at least to me, Exoprimal’s core gameplay loop doesn’t live up to how exciting its premise seems to be. There are several caveats to this. The final phase of gameplay, where your team faces off once morest another team, can be fun in a chaotic fashion, as is the late game boss fight. But when it comes to what you’ll spend most of your time doing, which is shooting hordes of dinosaurs in groups, Exoprimal can feel underwhelming. You’ll often be sitting there, mashing with your gun or sword, and watching digital raptors flying through the air and running towards you. Bullet feels like paper, nothing really has a major impact. Unlike other horde shooters, which manage to make battling hundreds of enemies feel threatening and exciting, Exoprimal’s PvE often feels like hectic work, and you just have to do it to get into one of the more interesting parts. The feel of the game is also very similar. You run from place to place, kill a certain number of dinos, then rinse and repeat regarding five times before shooting toward the final target. Even so, the end goal may sometimes just be to kill more dinosaurs. When dino survival is the only thing to do, and the way to continue the story, knowing that I have to go back to that usually lifeless multiplayer experience can become very frustrating. It can’t grab you like the king of field service. Also, there seem to be some balance issues in the game, and if you fall behind at any point, it’s hard to come back. You’re constantly reminded that you’re behind the opposing team, but the game rarely gives you any chance to make up lost time or pull back an advantage. Even if a so-called advantage is dropped in the form of a dominator that turns you into a gigantic dinosaur, the same equipment is given to the enemy team. While I don’t want to penalize players for being ahead, on the losing side it meant 20 minutes of play that felt like they had been decided from previous games. Capcom has had an incredible winning streak so far in 2023, but it seems like that’s where it ends. Exoprimal is by no means a bad game, but it just doesn’t live up to the heights you expect when you hear its premise. It’s a mixed bag, but if you’re looking for a new kind of multiplayer experience and can stand up to Dinosaur Survival, maybe it’s the game for you.
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