Capcom’s ‘Exoprimal’ Is Not a New ‘Dino Crisis’ Game, and Fans Are Outraged
During the Sony PlayStation March 2022 State of Play, Capcom revealed a new video game IP, Exoprimal. However, while Exoprimal promised futuristic warfare between exosuits and dinosaurs, Dino Crisis fans did not take the news as well. As the showcase revealed new Sony games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, fans thought a sequel to Dino Crisis 3 in 2003 had finally come, only to discover something entirely different.
The ‘Exoprimal’ reveal trailer had ‘Dino Crisis’ vibes
The Capcom Exoprimal trailer kicked off with a weather forecast from Ivy the Android in 2043 predicting rain … of dinosaurs. She then says that exofighters have already rushed out to the vortex to battle prehistoric hoards of dinosaurs falling through the sky.
The trailer also showed off several Aibius Exosuits in Exoprimal, like the bulky Roadblock Exosuit, built like a tank.
“In today’s news, five Aibius Exosuits have been deployed to exterminate a raptor super swarm in your area,” The official description reads on the Capcom YouTube channel. “These suits, each equipped with unique abilities to work together as a team, are developed by the next-generation Leviathan AI.”
In additional news, Aibius is recruiting candidates to pilot their latest Exosuits,” it continued. “Those interested in becoming pilots should apply at the nearest AIBIUS office. You may become humanity’s greatest hope.”
However, while Exoprimal left quite an impression, some fans wanted a Dino Crisis remake, sequel, anything to revitalize the franchise.
Fans thought the hero from ‘Dino Crisis,’ Regina, was the redhead in the ‘Exoprimal’ trailer
One of the biggest gut punches for Dino Crisis fans came once they realized the redhead in the Exoprimal trailer was not Regina. In Dino Crisis, Regina was the protagonist of the original video game and Dino Crisis 2, sporting signature red hair.
“Capcom knows we wanted Dino Crisis, and they completely trolled us with the Regina look-alike character in Exoprimal,” one fan posted on Twitter.
Capcom chose a design that resembled one of the most iconic Dino Crisis characters, and fans felt betrayed.
The trailer likely would have seen much less backlash had Capcom called the game Dino Crisis 4. However, the games might still prove different enough to warrant the distinction.
Should fans give the new Capcom IP a chance?
The Dino Crisis series functioned as survival-horror games. Meanwhile, the PS4 and PS5 game Exoprimal looks to focus much more on action and combat, both competitively and cooperatively.
The massively different gameplay may have drawn different kinds of backlash, with fans decrying the massive departure from the classic gameplay.
While Dino Crisis fans wanted Exoprimal as more of a direct sequel or remake, they could view it through the lens of a spiritual successor. It does not make the new game the same as the 1999 classic, but it makes the shift easier.
While it might not bring them right back into the world Regina fought to survive in, perhaps they save this new world in Exoprimal.
