The Exoprimal beta delivers dino-mite action

Exoprimal came out of nowhere when it was revealed last year as a brand-new property. Giant mechs battling hordes of dinosaurs was enough to pique our curiosity, and the new open beta let us jump in and experience it for ourselves. While the Exoprimal beta only offers a slice of what we can likely expect from the full experience, I walked away pleasantly surprised with the foundation that Capcom is building.

A crisis of Dinos

Exoprimal is set in a not-so-distant future where dinosaur outbreaks are happening around the globe, and players are part of a group tasked with fighting against the pre-historic threat. This is where mech meets dino, the sole selling point of Exoprimal.

There are multiple mechs that players can pilot in Exoprimal, each falling into one of three categories: Assault, Tank, and Support. In traditional fashion, these classes prioritize damage output, defense, and healing, respectively. Within the classes, I found that the different mechs had unique abilities that added some fun flavor to combat. Having machine guns, missiles, sniper rifles, explosives, and more at my disposal meant that there were a lot of options for slaying the various dinosaur foes.

The dinosaurs themselves were a major highlight of the Exoprimal beta. While raptors were the standard enemy, I also battled Pteranodons, T-Rexes, and Triceratops. In addition to having their own unique combat behaviors, the dinosaurs had different weak points on their body that I had to target in order to maximize damage. For example, the Ankylosaurus resisted damage from attacks to its armored back, so we had to prioritize getting shots in on its underside.

Biting back

Dino Survival is the sole game mode available in the Exoprimal beta. This 5v5 mode mixes PvP and PvE elements as players race to accomplish objectives before the other team. This includes fighting through hordes of dinosaurs, taking down bosses, and eventually securing a final objective before the other team can. The twist is, for the final objective, both teams are able to attack each other to delay the completion of the mission.

Fighting waves of dinosaurs like zombies is already a spectacle on its own right, but Capcom has built some epic moments into Exoprimal’s missions that really capture the absurdity of it all. On one mission, I watched as hundreds of raptors fell from a rooftop of a skyscraper. In another, a dense flock of Pteranodons descended on my party after a massive airplane appeared through a portal and crashed nearby.

Take back the earth

Exoprimal’s beta is a solid introduction to the wacky futuristic dinosaur shooter. The variety of mechs and dinosaur species present creates solid variety from match-to-match, and the setup of the Dino Survival mode makes for some intense finishes. If Capcom plans to launch the game with additional modes, character progression, and customization options, it could have something unique on its hands.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_