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Exoprimal is one of those games that I am very nervous about, as someone who enjoys Single Player games. Having played all the betas including at Tokyo Games Show last year, I had a lot of fun with it- it’s got that Capcom magic of really interesting mechanical control. Plus, you fight dinosaurs in decked out mech suits. It’s after my own heart!
Despite this, the game’s own direction as a multiplayer experience has filled me with some anxiety. Everything we’d seen of the game so far has been heavily focused on its PVE/PVP Dino Survival mode, wherein you and your friends team up to fight waves and waves of crisis-inducing dinos. Multiplayer’s one of those things that can really make or break your game- because it’s not enough for the gameplay to be good, it also has to be appealing enough to make other people want to play it too.
This continues to stand as Exoprimal’s biggest hurdle- and after our most recent time with the game, all we’ve learned is that there’s a lot of great game to be enjoyed, assuming you can get to it. It should be noted that there’s no actual single player mode in Exoprimal- but rather my time felt more representative of someone who couldn’t get into any matches with real people.
Probably the most clever thing Exoprimal is planning to do is with regards to its story. It seems to have specifically learned from Monster Hunter World’s biggest issues- specifically how much having to watch cutscenes can break the flow of a good multiplayer session. Instead, story in Exoprimal is presented via the Analysis Wheel. Every mission unlocks a spot on the wheel, and clearing out groups of folders will lead to your next breakthrough as you try to get to the heart of Bikitoa Island.
It’s unique and it really works for Exoprimal’s unique circumstances- sometimes I’d really rather just bang out Dino Survivals, so not having to watch any cutscenes I don’t want to is a good feeling. On the other hand, Exoprimal’s story is actually really good- and it’s not uncommon that you’ll be watching each analysis as you unlock it anyways.
Part of it just comes down to the setting being so compelling: You’re in the ruins of an island three years after a dinosaur-related catastrophe, with your exopilot constantly getting calls to hop in a portal and compete in wargames for what can only be described as a strong attempt at making another GLaDOS. Each analysis icon is another small snippet of the world, that you’ll want to unlock
I should point out that Exoprimal’s initial launch trailer was right on the money for describing the game’s tone- it’s surreal just how bizarre and offbeat everything is. The entire plot of Exoprimal revolves around the advanced AI Leviathan- your typical computer gone mad with an urge to test regardless of OSHA guidelines.
Characters are basically trapped in this endless loop of testing where they have to fight off dinosaurs, since apparently Leviathan is so advanced he’s capable of pulling people through space and time- the same way he’s chucking dinosaurs at you. A lot of stories nowadays pull off parallel dimensions as some sort of huge plot twist and Exoprimal drops it with all the casual tone of Dark Souls trying to have in-universe explanations for co op.
Just Multiplayer Things
For as great as Exoprimal blends single player content with multiplayer gameplay, the weakest point of my time with Exoprimal was where it leans into being a multiplayer game. Your favorite live service tropes are there, such as progression locks, player levels, Exosuit levels and a battle pass.
For the most part, as is with most multiplayer progression, a lot of what I was unlocking was chaff. Titles, decals, the occasional skin. There’s even a totally separate War Chest function for unlocking more cosmetics. It’s not like some of the skins aren’t gorgeous, but they’re just so detached from everything that’s actually fun about Exoprimal- the riveting combat- that I found myself almost resenting any time spent going through more loot menus.
Considering our preview was just the opening few hours of the game, it’s hard to not resent the upgrades you do unlock. They’re all so generic like doing more damage when low on health, you almost want to hope that this design philosophy doesn’t leak into Monster Hunter, too.
Worse still, the game also locks Exosuits behind progression, too. Some of the coolest exosuits from the Open Beta require you to be an absurdly high player level- as well as having saved enough of the games BikCoin currency to buy it. This goes hand-in-hand with the game’s RIG system, which also sees some of my favorite options from the beta like the drill fist suddenly relegated to late game content.
It’s just a stick in the mud that feels like it was born out of old-fashioned thinking- that people wouldn’t enjoy your multiplayer game if they didn’t have a million useless trinkets sprinkled at their feet. I’m not even against the idea of cosmetics per se- but pretending like a sticker is a worthy reward for all the grinding you’re doing, especially when there’s a good chance you’re not even doing it the way you want, is a good way to turn players away.
Cautious Optimism
Regardless of my gripes about no proper single player, I still remain incredibly optimistic about Exoprimal. The gameplay is really tight, and its attempts to integrate setting and gameplay are worth remembering for future discussion. It bears remembering that I only played an early build of the game- so we could very well find the final product to have fixed a lot of my nitpicks.
Still, it’s done little to actually ease my fears about multiplayer-centric titles. What Monster Hunter gets right is that its grind is actually fun- if you hop into this game only wanting to get to the fun toys in the unlocks, you’re probably going to end up resenting it- which is not a good look for any game.
