Exoprimal pulls out a mixture of anthem, dinosaurs, portals, explosions and lots of banging in the trailer. Will that work? In any case, it looks crazy enough to work, says MeinMMO author Max Handwerk.
Okay, what’s the best way to describe all of this? A pretty wacky AI thinks we’re chosen for some kind of test. For which? I have no idea, there really isn’t much info. But it’s not that important either, because the action soon turns into wild banging anyway.
Because the game is not stingy with opponents at all: sprawling hordes of raptors that swarm across the screen like insects, a roaring T-Rex, aggressive ankylosaurs and stegosaurs – these are the enemies you get to deal with.
And what is the best remedy against scaly attackers? Sure, modern exo suits that are a bit reminiscent of Anthem. And of course they don’t just have guns, but bows and crazy sci-fi abilities like shields that are suspiciously reminiscent of Destiny, as you can see more closely from minute 1:15.
In addition, lasers are constantly firing across the screen, something explodes, in between a plane crashes and pterosaurs chase through a tornado.
It’s best to see for yourself:
Exoprimal – The new dino game in gameplay trailer
At first glance, the trailer itself seems like one of those classic trash films that are just completely over the top, but precisely because of that they are fascinating. Like “Kung Fury” or “Sharknado”.
By the way, Exoprimal comes from the creators of Dino Crisis. This was quite a popular title among fans in the early 2000’s. The last official part of it came in 2003. So for 19 years fans have been waiting for a new Dino Crisis and now they get Exoprimal.
What kind of game will Exoprimal be? You can test it
This is supposed to be Exoprimal: The game’s official announcement brings a little more clarity. Story-wise, we’re in the year 2040 and it’s not looking good, as “sudden dinosaur outbreaks have plunged the world into a crisis that threatens the very existence of humanity” (via exoprimal.com).
Dinosaurs that suddenly show up from portals and cause trouble – anyone who knows the old Pro7 series “Primeval – Return of the Primeval Monsters” knows that this is a big problem.
But the AI ”Leviathan” can detect the outbreaks beforehand and then sends the “Exofighter” off – i.e. you. You can use the Exo Suits, which are divided into “attack”, “tank” and “support”.
This is how it should play: Dino-Survival is the heart of the game and presents two teams of five with different objectives to solve. The team that finishes first wins. There will be different variants, from “Dinosaur Hunt” (destroy enemies) to “Data Transport” (escort) to Energy Steal (gather energy) and more modes. You can find a closer look at our colleagues from GameStar in the preview.
There is also the “Neo-T-rex” mode, in which you fight together against a mutated T-Rex. Incidentally, this is not the only special dinosaur: There is also the “Gas Neosaurian” and the “Sniper Neosaurian” with special attacks. Again, that sounds like a coin toss between genius and madness.
How to test: The game itself is scheduled for release in 2023, but there will be a closed network test before then. You can currently register for it via the official website. You can still apply until June 30, 2022.
All three tests take place exclusively via Steam. For the full release, the game will also come to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One.
At least you will be able to get a first impression in the test of what Exoprimal actually is – crazy work or ingenious co-op experience with dinosaurs.