Exoprimal Review — Dino Crisis?

It’s hard to talk about Capcom and dinosaurs in the same sentence without talking about the beloved 1999 classic, Dino Crisis. But, the Japanese publisher has a new dino-packed game in the form of Exoprimal, this time taking the form of a squad-based action shooter. And while anything with dinosaurs gets a thumbs up from us, there are some primitive drawbacks to this latest raptor-blasting adventure.

Being a squad-based shooter, Exoprimal is obviously designed to be played co-operatively with other players, but it can be tackled alone as a single-player experience. The premise sees the world governments form a type of superteam team who pilot powerful exosuits (essentially Iron Man-like contraptions) each with their own abilities, in order to fight a genetically-modified prehistoric threat which has found its way to the modern world. You basically blast hordes of dinosaurs and take on bosses along the way, not unlike Left 4 Dead or World War Z. And that is one of Exoprimal‘s shortfalls, as there is some stiff competition in the horde-shooter market. But, guns and dinos are a recipe for success, so how does it work?

You get thrown into matches against hordes of dinosaurs (this weirdly plays into the story), ranging from raptors to bigger mini-boss monstrosities, while trying to complete objectives (protecting points, escorting items, and more). However, the curveball here is that you’ll be facing off against another group of exosuit-wearing heroes, making it essentially a ménage à trois of 5v5 combat with dinosaurs trying to murder you in the process.

A strong point of Exoprimal is the diversity of the classes available. If you want to go more support-based, be the tank of the group, or have the best firepower, there’s a lot on offer, and some interesting class-based skills like gravity weapons, healing abilities, or forcefields make the combat interesting when used in tandem and paired with creative players.

And it’s got to be said that Exoprimal does have its own ‘flair’ and vibe going for it, with a unique visual style that sets it apart from other games. The city-based levels are interesting, everything feels high-tech, and the game also players some pretty enjoyable 90s-inspired heroes to choose from, along with experimenting and having the suits offering some unique weapons and abilities that all look stunning in action.

Capcom has promised a lot of support for Exoprimal, which will only make the game better as time goes on, but as a horde-shooter release, this is a unique and interesting spin on that chaotic, white-knuckle shoot-and-move experience that many gamers have come to love. Exoprimal is well-worth trying if the genre is something you’ve found yourself gravitating towards.

Exoprimal is available on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, and PC.