Capcom's closed beta of Exoprimal provided a fun look at its cooperative shooter, which pits players against waves of angry dinosaurs in a satisfying multiplayer experience. There has been a surprising - some might even say shocking - lack of cooperative shooter action games involving dinosaurs over the years. Capcom is remedying this with Exoprimal, which effectively recreates the common childhood fantasy of what happens when powerful robots fight an army of Tyrannosaurus Rexes.
It takes almost no time for Exoprimal to be cooler than Jurassic World. Players take control of one of ten exosuits, each with specialized abilities that fit into one of three classes: Assault, Tank, and . However, players are able to switch from one suit to another at almost any point during a mission, which can last anywhere from 5 to 12 minutes. This nifty feature allows a well-oiled team to shift strategies as objectives and enemies change. Exoprimal proved in its preview that variety in gameplay and enemies will not be an issue.
Exoprimal Dino's Provide An Interesting Challenge To The Shooter Genre
Before jumping into the game's 5v5 matches - which is two teams racing against one another to complete objectives - it's a great idea to test out each of the unique exosuits in the training area. Similar to other co-op shooters like Warhammer 40K: Darktide, each class feels different to control. The melee-focused Roadblock tank provides powerful punches and a useful shield, while the Skywave exosuit lets players fly above the battlefield and heal teammates from a safe distance. The range of skills and attacks each exosuit provides begs players to experiment with different playstyles and be a helpful teammate as various scaly-skinned foes bombard players in each round.
Exoprimal's Horde of Dinosaurs Truly Shines
Each stage in the preview contained a futuristic city populated with vortexes that open up to dump a range of dinosaur threats. After one team completes its objective, a final round begins where teams have more opportunities to sabotage each other; this is where Exoprimal feels it's most competitive. However, the game's most intense highlight is special moments when players are warned of an overwhelming onslaught of Exoprimal's dinosaur horde emerging from a vortex seen in the distance. Within seconds it shrinks and swells, unleashing hundreds (if not thousands) of raptors. Explosions and rubble lead the swarm as they rush toward the player's location.
The Exoprimal beta is a blast to play with other players, and bots perform surprisingly well, even reviving other players in need with some semblance of strategy. There isn't a single-player offline story mode in Exoprimal, but the game's plot unravels as players level up and play the Dino Survival mode online. With a large variety of mission types filled with exciting gameplay and exosuits to play with, the July 2023 release of Exoprimal is shaping up to be another engaging multiplayer game from Capcom.
Exoprimal will be releasing July 14, 2023 on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X\S, and PC. Capcom provided a PlayStation 5 closed beta code for the purpose of this preview.
