Dinosaur-based action titles used to dominate the gaming industry. Turok and Dino Crisis demonstrated the joys of combining modern military hardware with Triassic-period beasts, but in recent times dinosaur action has all but died out. Capcom’s Exoprimal is something of a revival then, a co-op third-person action title that offers dynamic combat with hordes of raptors, tyrannosaurs, triceratops and other ancient reptiles. It’s an eye-catching blend of third-person action titles, combining lightning-fast horde modes with inter-team competition. The question is, can the RE Engine cope with the vast dinosaur armies – and can Exoprimal deliver a good technical experience alongside its impressive scale?
Unlike many of its forebears, Exoprimal is a polished shooter game that centres around co-op PVE combat. Each match pits two teams of five players against each other as they tackle objectives in a fixed sequence, typically tasks like defending an area or defeating a specific enemy dinosaur. The team that completes this series of objectives first wins, and in some matches the two teams will fight each other at the end. It’s an effective structure that provides a good enough excuse to justify the action.
Each player picks a ‘hero’ mech suit at the start of each round of after a death, with each hero option animatingly nicely, coming with a distinct set of moves and serving a compelling purpose in the context of each match. Assault suits deal damage and avoid enemies, tanks soak up enemy hits and shield allies, and support suits perform crowd control and healing roles. Each unit has a visually distinct silhouette and conspicuous attack animations, so the action is easy enough to read even from a distance. It’s a compelling formula that makes for fun and lively action, so the game is certainly well-made from a gameplay perspective.
