Exoprimal is something that popped on my radar once it was unveiled as a Capcom brainchild, but it immediately disappeared when I found out it was multiplayer-only. But after watching some gameplay trailers, it looks like Monster Hunter on crack — so I’m sold again.
Built in the RE Engine, Exoprimal is a third-person shooter that throws you in a chaotic player-versus-player-versus-environment arena. It is a fully priced game and will also feature a Battle Pass mechanic-microtransaction.
Here’s everything we know so far about Exoprimal, from the release date and story to the gameplay and trailers.
Exoprimal release date
Exoprimal was first announced during Sony's State of Play livestream in March 2022, and we’ll see an official release on July 14, 2023.
Exoprimal will launch for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X as well as last-gen consoles.
Exoprimal open beta
Hurry up, hunters! The Exoprimal beta is available now, from Thursday, March 16, 5:00 PM to Sunday, March 19, 4:59 PM PDT. You’ll be able to participate on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows (Microsoft Store), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam (PC).
You must link your CAPCOM ID to your corresponding platform account in order to play Exoprimal, which you can register here. Additionally, people who play the open beta test and answer a survey will obtain a bonus in the retail version of the game.
The beta will highlight the main game mode, Dino Survival, and feature a number of exosuits and rigs. Exosuits include: Deadeye, Zephyr, Barrage, Vigilant, Roadblock, Krieger, Murasame, Witchdoctor, Skywave, and Nimbus. Rigs include: Cannon, Aid, Catapult, Blade, Shield, Drill Fist.
There are three maps available: Downtown, Airport, and Ruins. And seven missions: Dinosaur Cull, Area Control, VTOL Defense, Escort, Data Key Security, Energy Taker and Omega Charge.
Exoprimal story
Surprisingly, there is a story in the background of this multiplayer game, although Exoprimal’s narrative is still just a catalyst for the gameplay.
The player takes control of an Exofighter on a mysterious island taken over by a sinister artificial-intelligence entity named Leviathan. The goal is to overcome the challenges and destroy the AI. Apparently, the AI’s directive is to “improve our exosuits,” but like most evil AIs, it took that to the extreme and threw us into a messed up combat arena where we fight dinosaurs and each other.
It's unclear if we’ll actually see the AI destroyed or if the narrative will adapt and change like a live-service game.
Exoprimal gameplay
Exoprimal looks like a sci-fi Monster Hunter, except we’re fighting hundreds of dinosaurs instead of one big fictional monster, and also other players.
In the main game mode, Dino Survival, two teams of five players race against each other to complete the objectives set by Leviathan. We’ve already seen a tyrannosaurus rex, a triceratops, and raptors. We’ll also see some unique creatures known as NeoSaurs, which are mutated dinos. Some of the challenges include killing a certain number of dinos, defending a VTOL, or charging up a weird hammer and delivering it to an objective.
As far as the actual gameplay goes, you’ll be picking between the exosuits, which each feature their own weapons and abilities. For example, if you want to play a tank, go with Roadblock which is equipped with a shield. Meanwhile, the Witchdoctor is a support class that can heal and Barrage focuses on DPS with explosives.
Exoprimal’s Battle Pass is called a Survival Pass, and it’ll allow players to unlock new skins and cosmetic items for their exosuits and weapons.
Exoprimal trailers
There are several trailers for Exoprimal, showcasing the gameplay, artstyle, and more.
Exoprimal PC requirements
These are the specs you’ll need to run Exoprimal on PC this weekend or when it inevitably launches in July.
Exoprimal requires a minimum of an Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB VRAM or AMD Radeon RX 560 with 4GB VRAM GPU. Meanwhile, the recommended requirements call for an Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X CPU, 16GB of RAM, and an Nvidia Geforce Gtx 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 590 GPU.
Some of the best cheap gaming laptops sport a fresh Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, which should be more than enough to get you through Exoprimal.
Outlook
I have a love/hate relationship with multiplayer games. They generally have interesting ideas, but the issue always comes down to price and replayability. If you can’t sustain a user base, the game will be dead within a month if not sooner. Hopefully Exoprimal can avoid this fate that has plagued many online games. We’ll find out when Exoprimal launches on July 14, 2023.
