Exoprimal: A promising game hampered by its live service model

Hardware Times

Before we get to the heart of the matter, let's be clear on one point: Exoprimal is a solid and promising game. But that's not all. Indeed, this is Capcom's first foray into the live service realm, which, let's be honest, has lost its luster in recent times. Introducing a new live-service game is not going to magically cure people's weariness with this model.

Now let's talk about the not-so-good sides of this dinosaur hunting simulator, mainly related to its live-service nature. This is a delicate situation, my friends. Live games tend to improve with new content and quality of life updates, but they can often impact the initial game experience in a variety of ways.

But don’t worry, it’s time to look on the bright side. Based on the hours I've spent, here's what makes Exoprimal shine.

At its core, Exoprimal plays like a classic third-person shooter, but the real fun lies in the diversity of Exosuits, divided into three roles: Tank, Healer and Assault. If you've played Warframe, you'll notice some similarities, but Exoprimal manages to have its own identity.

We have to commend the RE Engine, as the game ran smoothly on our NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti (140W)-equipped Alienware X15 R2. On ultra settings, the game ran comfortably at over 100 FPS. At 1440p we get around 80 FPS. You can obviously try medium and high settings to get higher frame rates. These figures are without FSR and we recommend not using FSR in this game as it is blurry. Hopefully DLSS and XeSS make an appearance in this game, but it's unlikely. That said, the game looks good and runs well thanks to the magic of the RE Engine.

The core gameplay is also very solid, everything feels smooth and fast. There's definitely something to have fun with. Most of the time you play in third person. There are many Exosuits, which are divided into three classes: Tank, Healer and Assault. Each combination is different and looks very different. One of the best things in Exoprimal is that you can control and play as a dinosaur. Take a look.

Now let's talk about the possibilities. With direct-serve game design, Exosuits, microtransactions, there is unlimited potential for collaborations and new content. Whether it's introducing new Exosuits or running raids with your friends or randoms, the sky is the limit and Capcom should take advantage of that. But this is where one of Exoprimal’s weaknesses appears. These days, affordable live gaming demands a greater abundance of content.

Additionally, Exoprimal's cross-play needs improvement. Here is a tweet.

Despite the game's flaws, it's undoubtedly a solid experience that will find its audience. However, our problem goes beyond Exoprimal itself, it concerns the entire live service model. Let's face it, live gaming is not going away any time soon, as it brings in a lot of money for businesses. That said, Capcom is not in the best position when it comes to microtransactions. They had some very weird models where players had to purchase new moves in Devil May Cry 5 and weapon upgrades in Resident Evil: 4, and by doing that, players were bypassing a lot of the progression in the game.

In summary, Exoprimal has its strengths, but a live game that isn't free to play definitely needs more content. If you have Game Pass, you should definitely try it. We do not recommend buying the game right away, but rather waiting for the sales. There just isn't enough meat on that bone. And yet…