We caught up with Director Takuro Hiraoka shortly after Exoprimal’s launch to talk about the game’s success over its first week, where the wild idea of fighting dinosaurs in exosuits came from, and what might be in store for this fresh new gaming universe for us to explore.
“We’re both elated and excited so many players were able to become Exofighters and participate in Exoprimal’s wargames starting on launch day (with Game Pass),” Exoprimal Director Takuro Hiraoka said. “Exoprimal was developed so that players can enjoy the game’s exhilarating gameplay on either consoles or PC.”
Personally, we love how Exoprimal has been able to tap into a mix of outrageousness with compelling gameplay (and of course, dinosaurs!). Hiraoka told us that with it being a brand-new IP, crafting the world of Exoprimal was an extremely enjoyable experience.
“We’re both elated and excited so many players were able to become Exofighters and participate in Exoprimal‘s wargames starting on launch day (with Game Pass).”
“Every day was exciting. We were able to try out a variety of challenging ideas such as combining PvE and PvP components into a single game mode and incorporating many of the developers’ interests (e.g., dinosaurs, powered suits, etc.) into the game. I distinctly remember how excited I felt seeing footage of a massive number of dinosaurs falling from the sky, as well as the experience of witnessing those dinosaurs and exosuits going head-to-head in-game. I thought to myself, ‘This is Exoprimal! How awesome!’”
Hiraoka told us that it was decided early in the game’s development to focus on dinosaurs that existed during prehistoric times – that fact plays a critical role in the development of the story. Once that decision was made, they opted to use futuristic exosuits (powered suits) as a means for humans to compete with history’s strongest and most ferocious beasts.
“Other options such as large mechs and cyborgs were taken into consideration, but we ultimately landed on exosuits because we felt these were the best match for the in-game action we envisioned for Exoprimal. As a young boy, I loved everything about dinosaurs… I was pretty excited that we were able to incorporate mechs, dinosaurs, and more into the game.”
Exoprimal revolves around the concept of a small number of allies working together to take down massive hordes of dinosaurs. Straightforward, right? The controls are also intentionally designed to make it easy for you to pull off flashy, exhilarating exosuit attacks and enjoy the sensation of clashing with these epic, prehistoric beasts.
“As a young boy, I loved everything about dinosaurs… I was pretty excited that we were able to incorporate mechs, dinosaurs, and more into the game.”
“The game may appear difficult at first glance, but don’t worry,” explains Hiraoka. “The controls are user-friendly, and Leviathan will help navigate players through each mission in the wargames. Find an exosuit you like based on aesthetics or combat style. If you keep using exosuits that you like, you’ll be able to make a significant impact on the battlefield.”
Teamwork and collaboration were important considerations when developing Exoprimal, and every mission can be cleared if each member of the team contributes – there’s no specific composition of exosuit types required for success. The key component — if there is one — is to just have fun.
To help with this, during combat, exosuits will speak when performing key actions like active skills. By listening to these cues, you’ll be able to understand what your teammates are doing and adjust your gameplay accordingly. Signal pins and stamps are another way to relay information to allies, giving you a variety of ways to communicate quickly and effectively to achieve success.
Still, we wanted to know if there was a “right way” for us to play Exoprimal. How free were we to find our own method of success (e.g., if everyone wanted to play as a Tank)?
“Teams can achieve victory as long as mission objectives and other conditions are achieved, even if all players are using tank-type exosuits.”
“Dino Survival missions are designed with specific exosuits or team compositions in mind, but all missions can be completed with any of the exosuits available in-game — teams don’t need to have specific compositions to succeed and enjoy the game,” Hiraoka says. “Teams can achieve victory as long as mission objectives and other conditions are achieved, even if all players are using tank-type exosuits. See what works best for your team and go from there!”
One of the more unique things with Exoprimal compared to similar action games is the ability to change exosuits at any time during battle. Hiraoka explained that this made it possible for the development team to create missions and challenges that require adaptability, and mid-game changes to team compositions and combat strategies help maintain a steady pacing throughout each match.
“One feature we wanted to explore when developing Exoprimal was providing players with a unique gameplay experience in every match. Maps, missions, and enemies that players encounter will vary every time you play, meaning players will need to adjust their gameplay strategies based on current objectives. The experience of collaborating with teammates to take on and overcome challenging obstacles in unpredictable settings offers added levels of enjoyment and accomplishment to the Capcom-style action of the game… I think the animations when players change exosuits look pretty cool, too! *laughs* “
The world of Exoprimal is a very exciting universe that we’d love to see more from, so we couldn’t resist asking Hiraoka if there’s anything we can look forward to more from this fresh gaming universe.
“If we get a lot of positive feedback from players, there may be opportunities to expand upon the world of Exoprimal in the future.”
“We put a lot of thought into building out both the gameplay and the world of Exoprimal, and Capcom has a ‘Single Content, Multiple Usage’ strategy for its IP. If we get a lot of positive feedback from players, there may be opportunities to expand upon the world of Exoprimal in the future. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
“The development team is proud to have created this project. We hope future Exofighters will take the opportunity to witness hundreds of dinosaurs flooding on screen and experience the satisfaction of combatting them in Leviathan’s wargames. We’re sure you’ll love it!”