CAPCOM’s Expoprimal has been a known quantity for almost a year. Back in 2022, the Japanese publisher gave some lucky players the chance to try out this unique PvEvP experience, and earlier this year, it opened the floodgates for all players to join in the fun. The two testing phases highlighted some of the game’s greatest strengths but also its weaknesses, which made me wonder if the game will reach the same level of popularity not only of other CAPCOM titles but of other successful live service titles.
With Exoprimal edging closer to release, the Japanese publisher gave a select few the chance to try out a good chunk of the game, providing a better idea of how things will play out in the final version, which launches later this July. Unfortunately, this new build hasn’t changed what I felt about the game after playing the open beta. There’s potential, but I’m not sure it will be fully realized.
One thing that definitely surprised me is the game’s story. While the main characters are a little tropey, the premise is interesting, and the mystery surrounding the Leviathan AI seems well handled, receiving ample development during the game. For some reason, this AI is luring Exofighters to Bikitoa Island, forcing them to take part in some twisted games where hordes of dinosaurs are constantly spawned. Leviathan seems to be gathering data for some reason, and, as they are unable to leave the island, the Hammerheads squad will have to get to the bottom of the matter.
To be completely honest, the story was the main reason I kept coming back to this Exoprimal preview build. While it’s true that servers weren’t well populated for obvious reasons, the few times I was able to play with real players didn’t really improve the experience that much. The main issue with the PvEvP experience of the game is that things become dull very quickly. While the Exosuits, as I highlighted in my other hands-on pieces, are all unique and handle extremely nicely, the mission and map design don’t do a whole lot to make them shine. Worse yet, some of the most fun Exosuits to use, such as Murasame, aren’t available from the start and must be unlocked using in-game currency. While this was somewhat expected, it was still disappointing to see, although CAPCOM stressed how many of the game’s features are not final and may be subject to change.
While map design isn’t outright bad, it’s not great either, as maps ultimately are nothing more than mere backdrops for both the PvE and the PvP parts of a game, mission design is way worse. The PvE objectives aren’t particularly varied, and shooting down hordes of dinosaurs gets old very quickly. During the first few games, it can be kind of fun to see multiple creatures getting blown away, but things don’t stay as fun the more games are played. Most of the dinosaurs don’t pose much of a challenge, and those that do, have simple attack patterns that can be easily neutralized with some decent teamwork. The worse thing about the PvE part of the experience is that it does not seem to matter that match. Unless there’s a huge difference in skill level between the two teams, the outcome of a match is always decided during the PvP portion reached after completing all of the PvE missions.
PvP missions in Exoprimal fare a little better than their PvE counterparts, but not by much. Some of them are extremely slow, such as the protect the data key missions, and players on opposing teams engage one another only at the end. Other mission types are slightly better and more dynamic, offering players more chances to fight directly against their opponents, and it’s here that Exoprimal shines the most. At times, the PvEvP experience will turn into a full-on co-op experience, as seen in the closed beta test from last year, which slightly alleviates the dullness of the basic PvE experience.
The latest Exoprimal test build also offered the first look at the progression system, which looks straightforward enough. By competing in games, both the player and the Exosuits they have used will receive experience points. Upon level-up, players will receive crates including cosmetics and perks that can be used to customize Exosuits and their abilities. While it is too early to say, I felt that unlocks were coming relatively quickly, although Exosuit customization didn’t look too exciting, at least at the start of the game, as the changes in their abilities weren’t particularly impactful.
At the end of the day, my time with this new preview build of Exoprimal hasn’t really changed how I felt about the game following the open beta testing earlier this year. The gameplay basics are all there, but the more I play it, the more I feel the game needs something more to succeed. As I haven’t seen everything the game has to offer, however, there’s still the chance that some late-game content will finally turn Exoprimal into the dino-killing frenzy it was meant to be.
Exoprimal launches on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One in a few months, on July 13th. The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one.
