Sony's PlayStation State of Play events are always cause for excitement, as they give fans the chance to check out upcoming games that are in development for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The latest State of Play from Sony featured a number of new game reveals, primarily from Japanese publishers. It kicked off with the reveal of a new game called Exoprimal, though it seems to have upset some members of the gaming community.
Exoprimal is a new game from Capcom that mixes co-op and competitive elements. The basic premise is that the game is set in the future, where people have to use mech suits to fight back against dinosaurs who appear out of portals. In the Exoprimal trailer, fans get to see an absurd number of dinosaurs on-screen at one time, not to mention some beasts that are impressive because of their sheer size, including a rampaging triceratops and a huge T-Rex.
Online-focused games are always risky, but Exoprimal's reveal has ensured that some have dismissed it entirely. The Exoprimal reveal trailer begins by setting up the basic premise of dinosaurs appearing in portals and people using mech suits to fight back against them, and then it cuts to a title card that says "CAPCOM PRESENTS..." As Capcom fans will know, the company is already well-known for having another dinosaur game, Dino Crisis.
The Dino Crisis franchise has been dormant since 2003's Dino Crisis 3, and it doesn't seem like a new game will be happening anytime soon. Combining dinosaurs with the Capcom logo led many fans to believe that they were seeing the announcement of a new Dino Crisis game, only to be bait and switched with the reveal that instead of a new Dino Crisis game, Exoprimal is a brand-new IP.
Fans could be forgiven for assuming that the Exoprimal trailer was setting up the announcement of a new Dino Crisis games. The Dino Crisis games deal with futuristic settings and portal technology that brings dinosaurs to modern and future times. There is even a character in the Exoprimal trailer that looks very similar to Regina, the main protagonist of the original Dino Crisis game and its sequel, Dino Crisis 2.
Considering this, it makes sense that there are Dino Crisis fans who are up in arms about Exoprimal, as they feel like Capcom teased a new game in the long-dormant series, only to reveal a new IP instead. This reaction isn't going to do any favors for Exoprimal either, so it's a shame in more ways than one. That being said, it may be for the best that Exoprimal isn't a new Dino Crisis game, as that would likely open up an entirely different can of worms.
If Exoprimal did turn out to be a new Dino Crisis game, it would have likely seen significant backlash from the community. After all, the original Dino Crisis was a survival-horror game, essentially functioning as Resident Evil with dinosaurs instead of zombies. The sequel stuck somewhat close to that formula but went in a more action-oriented direction, whereas Dino Crisis 3 threw horror completely out the window to be a pure action game. Even so, Exoprimal would still be seen as such a significant departure from the previous games that it's hard to see how fans would have embraced it with the Dino Crisis label.
And while it's definitely disappointing that Capcom didn't announce a new Dino Crisis game, the company should still be free to make games with dinosaurs in them. After all, Resident Evil isn't the only Capcom franchise with zombies. The Dead Rising series, while also having been dormant for quite some time, got off to a rather strong start with the original Dead Rising earning strong reviews from critics and developing a dedicated fan base.
It's entirely possible that the Exoprimal game will be to Dino Crisis as Dead Rising was to Resident Evil. It may feature the same kind of enemies for players to fight, but is otherwise a completely different, unique experience and potentially the start of a popular new IP from Capcom. Then again, it's also possible that the backlash to the Exoprimal reveal is enough that the game will be dead on arrival, but it's far too early to make that call.
Besides disgruntled Dino Crisis fans being upset at the Exoprimal reveal, it seems others aren't happy about Capcom announcing another new game before delivering more on its previously-revealed Pragmata, which is expected to launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X in 2023. There's also some fans who are annoyed that the Resident Evil Village DLC wasn't announced at the PlayStation State of Play either.
Regardless, fans should wait and see how Exoprimal does before completely dismissing it. It could very well surprise the doubters and turn out to be a great game, despite its somewhat botched reveal.
Exoprimal will launch in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
