Exoprimal Reviews
The beginnings of a PvPvE cult hit. Extinct animal slaughter is fundamentally fun, but the foundations are sparse.
Exoprimal's unique take on the hero shooter genre is a bold one – with its best modes and surprises hidden deep within its goofy sci-fi story – but a variety of fun exosuits, the simple appeal of tearing through thousands of dinos, and great multiplayer design make that grind an easy one to recommend sticking with.
It's a sight for saur eyes, but not quite enough to make Exoprimal essential. There's real cleverness to the PvPvE balance, and to how Leviathan modifies that one, core mode as the game unfolds, but after 15 hours, it still feels like an exercise in reshuffling well-worn pieces. I don't think it earns that blockbuster price tag. As a subscription game, though, Exoprimal is dino-mite.
"There's simply not enough variation here to keep Exoprimal feeling fresh after a dozen or so hours"
Capcom is trying to have its cake and eat it, too, with Exoprimal by using its story to lure more general fans while hoping the loop keeps hardcore multiplayer fans for the long haul. I’m not sure that will work; I have little motivation to return now that I’ve seen credits. But I had a fun time while it lasted. Exoprimal’s creative subversion of expectations impressed me in more ways than one, and its approach to telling a robust narrative within a multiplayer framework is an example I hope other titles study. I just hope it’s enough to keep the game from going extinct.
Exoprimal keeps its cards close, saving some of its best moments for later.
A seasonal live-service roadmap promises a time-based endgame mode, variant exosuits, and a Monster Hunter collaboration in the near future, which, as a player now caught in the game’s talons, is an exciting prospect. Exoprimal is rough around the edges, but hopefully, by the time these updates arrive, it will have found the nostalgic audience its compelling experimental narrative sorely deserves, rather than going the way of the dinosaurs.
Exoprimal will be a rollercoaster of surprises for the majority of players. Making your way through the fifty-or-so matches it takes to hit credits, experiencing all the spectacle on display in this curveball of a game, is in my opinion worth the cost of admission for Game Pass users, and perhaps at a discount for all others. It'll remain a presence on my PS5 home screen, for now at least.
Surprisingly effective it may be at crafting a simple-but-enticing loop of gameplay, Exoprimal's shallow variety and unclear methods of progression land Capcom's latest in a middle-ground of being both entertaining and heavily flawed.
A low-stakes team shooter where racing to slay dinosaurs has its wow moments, only most of them are locked behind a baffling disrespect for one's time.
Exoprimal is fun in short doses, and there's absolutely a foundation to build on here. Like many live service games, this could be something very special in a few months.
Exoprimal is a multiplayer shooter with bags of potential. A good round has all the thrills of Overwatch's PvP wrapped up with the brain-massaging mayhem of Earth Defense Force or Dynasty Warriors, but it's so slow about getting you invested that some players might simply never get there.
It may have the brains of a dodo, but that’s what I find so endearing about it. It’s a flightless bird that carries itself with the confidence of a swan.
Unfortunately, the pacing is slower than a triceratops wading through a tar pit. Cooler dinos and greater objective variety should keep players coming back for more, but they're unfortunately locked behind a story that's more tedious than Jurassic World and unfolds just as slowly. This is without even mentioning that cutscenes can sometimes play twice and some story instances (I'm looking at you, Magnum!) will not only play out multiple times, they'll play out with the same unskippable dialogue, the same extended loading times, and the same objectives.
Exoprimal has several merits, including making dinosaur hunting fun and challenging fights between exosuits. At the same time, however, Capcom has made several mistakes, such as focusing on only one mode and launching a game that cannot entertain in the medium to long term. In short, after the missteps made with Resident Evil Re:Verse and Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps, Capcom has again missed the opportunity to make a noteworthy multiplayer experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A very peculiar online shooter that manages to be both quietly original and shamelessly derivative all at the same time. It does have dinosaurs in it though and that counts for a lot.
What's already on the table is a lot of fun and reasonably spectacular for any shooter fan. The question is: will it be enough to sustain interest for weeks?
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Exoprimal’s biggest strength is that it’s easy to get friends into, and you’re basically guaranteed to have a decent time whether you win or lose.
It’s Jurassic Earth Defense Overwatch War Z and it looks like it should be bad but it isn’t. I can’t be anything but impressed by that.