Recently, Capcom held a Closed Network Test for their latest upcoming game Exoprimal which gave invited players the chance to try out one of the game modes that this game will feature. It also gave a bit of the story details, or possibly just lore if this turns out to be a purely multiplayer title, and took players through a tutorial that showed off all of the neat aspects of the core gameplay.

While I did make sure to include all of the videos and tutorials in my First Look video above, I also show off my very first game which was a bit rough but led to much more entertaining rounds to follow once I got the core mechanics figured out. Aside from watching my no commentary first look, lets get into what this game is all about.

Gameplay

When I first loaded up, I honestly didn’t know what type of game mode to expect, but the one in the closed network test is likely to be considered this game’s main game mode. This game mode was a wargame that had two teams face off against each other, but not so much in a Player-vs-Player sense and rather a Player-vs-Enemy objective completion race.

As you learn from the tutorial, there are multiple different Exofighters - or mech-suits if you will - to choose from. You want to have a good mix on the team with one or two taking on a tank role, one or two taking assault, and at least one support. During this limited access version, there weren’t too many to choose from and I ended up with a good enough team. It is likely that more suit options will be unlockable in the full game.

That said, the objectives were mostly just clearing out waves of spawning dinosaurs and the difficulty of the horde slowly increased. From facing off against hundreds of incoming standard dinosaurs, they also have a few unique ones to worry about. There is the explosive one, a sniper one, tiny pterodactyls, a specially powerful pterodactyl, and a triceratops. They have T-Rex in the game, but they are actually for players to tame and use for a short period of time when the opportunity arises.

Each different mech type has different advantages and attack styles. While tanks can hold open a shield to block incoming damage with a wall that friendlies can shoot through from behind them, I did find myself leaning more toward the assault team options. With the standard assault character you have your regular automatic rifle, the ability to launch an explode-on-impact grenade from the rifle, and a charged shot that does heavy damage or hits multiple dino’s that are lined up. The secondary, more powerful attacks simply have to recharge and the standard gun ammo never seemed to need to be refilled, only reloaded.

Expectations

There are definitely going to be a bunch of different game modes. While the one that they had set up for this closed network test was pretty good, I look forward to more co-op-based challenges where you and a few friends can take on crazy objectives and boss-style fights without racing another enemy team to who completes it first. The number of game modes a title like this can have is honestly pretty wide, so I look forward to seeing what the full list of modes will include.

Having infinite ammo was a bit weird for me. While it made the experience a bit easier to grasp, it felt like a cope to the onslaught of hordes. I’m not sure if they plan to keep it set up where you can reload as needed all the time and your strong attacks are simply on a timer to avoid spamming, but I wouldn’t be opposed to having to focus on collecting ammo in the middle of the matches.

As for the dinosaur types they have in the game so far, I am glad to see there is a larger variety than I initially expected. Even so, they need to get a bunch more in there! From small, harder to see but easier to kill options to large, dangerous even with a team type options. If the game is going to be based on dinosaurs literally spawning in, then why would there be a limit to what types and powers they have?

Verdict

Exoprimal definitely is getting their dino-shooter title started on the right track! Even with there being only one game mode right now, it is an envigorating onslaught of dino-fighting goodness. Sure, there is room for improvement, but it is still in its early stages and this version of the game is for testing a few aspects while getting feedback from the players on how to proceed forward. This closed network test has turned me from the skeptical approach I had at first to an interested player looking forward to the next update.

Exoprimal is planned to release in 2023 on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.