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Exoprimal’s airborne T-Rex attacks and unstoppable raptor swarms have slammed straight into my heartCapcom’s mechs vs dinosaurs game could be one of their best multiplayer games to date
Capcom’s mechs vs dinosaurs game could be one of their best multiplayer games to date
Image credit:Capcom
Image credit:Capcom
I’ve been excited to playExoprimal, Capcom’s upcoming multiplayer dino shooter, ever since it used the phrase “unstoppable raptor horde” in one of its trailers. It is a completely unhinged combination of words that makes me giddy just thinking about them. I’ll often find myself muttering them out loud when I’m unloading the dishwasher or folding laundry. “Unstoppable raptor horde”. It’s like the season finale of language. It’s perfect.
Admittedly, prior to the existence of that phrase, I was feeling a little sceptical about Exoprimal’s existence. Not only does Capcom have - let’s say - a less than favourable track record when it comes to multiplayer titles, but as a long-term fan ofDino CrisisI was a bit miffed to see them creating a game featuring prehistoric creatures that wasn’t some kind of lavish remake of my beloved PS1 series.
Exoprimal’s Unstoppable Raptor Hordes Have Slammed Straight Into My Heart | Hands OnWatch on YouTube
Exoprimal’s Unstoppable Raptor Hordes Have Slammed Straight Into My Heart | Hands On
Exoprimal is all about taking down groups of dinosaurs while wearing powerful mech suits. Dubbed Exosuits, all available options are divided into three classes (assault, tank and support) with each offering players a completely different set of weapons and abilities to play around with. The closed beta gave me four to try out, with more promised for thefinal release next year. Deadeye controls like a classic third-person shooter, capable of chewing through hordes of raptors with their assault rifle before popping off a grenade to thin the crowd further. Zephyr, on the other hand, feels like they’ve been ripped straight out of a Platinum game. Wielding dual blades, this suit is all about slashing dinos to bits before launching their pals into the air to execute a devastating juggle combo. Roadblock uses its massive shield to stop dinos in their tracks, bashing against it to force larger enemies to focus on them instead of their pals. Finally, there’s Witchdoctor, the beta’s sole support class capable of stunning enemies with a big staff and providing healing safe havens for their teammates to gather within.
The result is a co-operative experience that feels significantly looser and more relaxed than other titles in the genre. Sure, you have to work together to survive, but at least in this closed beta, Exoprimal seemed keen to ensure you’re having a good time over forcing you to communicate with one another. If a team member isn’t pulling their weight, it’s not necessarily the end of the world.
Then there are the less historically accurate enemy types, which are easily my favourite. Gas Neosaurs explode when they get too close, while the impeccably named Sniper Neosaurs (!) spawn on buildings before launching long-range goo balls at your team. A special mission that combined both teams into one group of ten pitted us against a Neo T-Rex, a mutated monstrosity that generated black holes and sprayed beams of energy out of its jaws. Dripping with dark ooze, it was a formidable foe that was as dangerous as it was ridiculous.
At this stage, the game becomes a full PvP experience, with teams forced to contend with each other directly while attempting to complete a final objective, such as escorting a payload or collecting 100 batteries. Structurally, Dino Survival is a refreshing take on the standard multiplayer playbook. Racing against an invisible group of foes to reach a final objective is genuinely tense, and having human-controlled players burst into your game unexpectedly right at the very end makes for a truly dramatic finale. It feels a little likeLeft 4 Deadcrossed withDestiny 2’s Gambit mode, and it’s properly exciting.
It turns out that shooting raptors while wearing a mech suit is also just really funny. It’s equally amusing to watch a T-Rex wriggle its way out of a giant purple sphere at the behest of a sinister AI that says stupid shit like, “Dress like the job you want - to survive”. We all knew Exoprimal was going to be a bit dumb, but I didn’t expect it to also be so charming? Its entire vibe is deeply nostalgic, harking back to the early 2000s when Capcom seemingly greenlit every wild idea that was pitched internally. It feels like it was made specifically for me, and it rules.
I’m still not sure whether or not Leviathian is responsible for the dinosaur attacks, or if he’s taking advantage of them to gather as much combat data as possible to create a weapon capable of fighting back. Either way, I’m convinced he’s 100% evil and I’m perfectly fine with that. |Image credit:Capcom
Worries aside, I’m desperate to play more of this. My time with Exoprimal was tremendous fun, and I can’t wait to dispatch new dinosaurs with a fresh set of exosuits when it launches at some point next year. Time will tell if the final release is compelling enough to find that all-important audience, but as it stands, I’m feeling very positive about Exoprimal’s specific take on prehistoric carnage.
“Unstoppable raptor horde”. I’m saying it out loud right now. Magnificent stuff.
