Exoprimal Preview – Long-term storytelling

Exoprimal’s time-traveling, dinosaur-blasting premise firmly positions it as one of the strangest multiplayer shooters on the horizon. Players have gotten to sample its insanity in a previous open beta, but a recent hands-on preview gave me a chance to peek into the game’s storytelling structure and customization. 

Exoprimal gives you and your four friends a brief introduction to the game, asking them to join forces to fight waves of dinosaurs. Outfitted in specialized exosuits, you’ll blast apart velociraptors, triceratops, and mighty T-Rexes in a race to finish missions before a rival squad of players completes the same tasks. Like Overwatch, the exosuits encourage specific playstyles and roles, including various attack styles, tanks and healers. I chose the Zepher suit, which is fast and melee focused, with a blade. The ability to swap between suits allows teams to adjust their strategies in response to shifting objectives. In addition to facing the extinct predators, missions also put you in direct conflict with the other team, leading to firefights aimed at sabotaging each others’ progress. 

The action is wild, and the plot isn’t too far behind. A small group of soldiers in the year 2040 are featured. You control a custom-made avatar helping your squad leader, the tough yet jovial Lorenzo, and your teammates: Alders, the sassy brains of the operation, Majesty, a no-nonsense fighter, and Sandy, the crew’s robotic helper. The cheesy banter, humor, and overall B-movie vibe give me strong Binary Domain vibes; Exoprimal knows it’s silly and doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

Cutscenes occur between multiplayer matches (there’s no traditional single-player campaign) and gradually tell a time-traveling plot in which our team finds themselves transported a few years into a future parallel reality where they encounter alternate versions of themselves. Only by winning matches can you see the story of how the team stops the dinosaurs and saves Earth. This is done through a map called Analysis Map. The large flowchart contains multiple story scenes, which begin in the outer circle. When unlocked, these connected scenes weave to what seems like a final at the centre. Although I managed to unlock several scenes in a row after just a few rounds, the nodes are numerous enough to suggest you’ll need to spend hours playing matches to see how this wacky adventure concludes.

The Hangar is where I found new skins, Modules, and other cosmetics to customize my exosuits. After achieving specific levels, Modules can be bought with the in-game currency. These modules increase health or abilities. Up to three modules can be equipped, each with a particular type. Slot 1 contains Suit Modules and Slots 2 & 3 contain combat-oriented Action Modules. The Base Modules that are more generic can fit in any slot. For example, one module which increases moments speed on critical health. You can upgrade these effects by using more currency. The same Module is also available for multiple exosuits. A Rig is a unique piece of gear that can be used to customize your suit. It adds an ability such as special attacks or repair functions. Conveniently, a suit can be set as a favorite, so you’ll automatically start matches wearing it. 

I’ve played well over a dozen matches of Exoprimal at this point, and it continues to be a fun and often-chaotic good time, especially alongside some good buddies over chat. Though it plays exceptionally, I’m still unsure if the game can sustain interest in the months after release. The story will only hook players for so long (if at all), so we’ll see if there’s enough meat on these fossilized bones to keep players returning for more.

Exoprimal arrives on July 14 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Xbox Game Pass will include the game at launch.