While Call of Duty is steadily getting back to where it needs to be, and Fortnite has been with us so long that it started over, my Battlefield side has been jonesing for a bit of team effort and huge levels. I need my big battlefields!
Well, developer Sharkmob AB came calling last week with a large and wild tactical shooter called Exoborne. While it’s certainly not going to replace my Battlefield itch, it brings up not only some fun action but also a cool story that hits too close to home right now.
While I didn’t get a long time with this preview, which is mainly my fault, I did have a fun time with what I played. Exoborne is a gorgeous game and I think that it might take off and make a name for itself if the devs can get enough ears to listen and eyes to see it in motion.
So, sit back, relax, check that weather forecast, and let’s get right into this Exoborne preview.
Story
The story of Exoborne revolves around a corrupt group called Rebirth. They were called in when the earth’s climate went south, and the group promised to fix it. What it ended up doing was none of that, rather it perpetuated more destruction and abandoned humanity in the process. Of course, once a big corporation that was out to make money and steal power gets too sassy for its britches, a rebellion is bound to be born. The rebellion in this story is Tar, who wants to uncover the wrongs that Rebirth has done and anything else sinister the company might be hiding.
Most games of this nature have throwaway storylines. Almost every Call of Duty game was essentially a fancier version of Expendables, where it’s more about the action and situations than it was about the story attached. That’s what you come to expect from a CoD game, and that’s typically what is delivered. For Exoborne, it seemed a bit different.
While we didn’t dig too far deep into the story, as this was only a preview/playtest, the narrative felt like there were some actual stakes. While not much has been thrown out on the Internet about the story and all its twists and turns, it seems to be much more than what a typical tactical shooter brings to the narrative table. Even without playing too much of the game, the story connects hard. Knowing that a company promised to help people but has in turn destroyed the world out of greed, is a frightful tale that is all too real in this day and age. This is certainly a tale that I want to explore.
This story at its worst seems like the second act of a trilogy, which means there is far more context to be seen before it, while the leftovers might make room for a good sequel. I’m spitballing here because the story intrigued me from the first go around. I want to know more, and I’m invested in the crumbs that were sprinkled in front of me. It seems like it could be good. We shall see, but I’m hopeful.
Gameplay
My time with Exoborne was short, so I didn’t get to dig too deeply into the gameplay, but from what I saw it was impressive. The map was huge, the gameplay was clever, especially mixed with weather events, and the suit of armor was interesting. The latter happens to be the first topic of discussion.
Big Rigs
The first big bit of gameplay revolved around the suit you wear during the game called the Exo-rig. It’s your go-to when it comes to taking down people in the game, and something that you will be able to customize from guns to specialties. It’s a more extensive version of what you’re used to seeing in tactical shooters. Think of it as typical classes you’re used to seeing in games like this, then add more complication and customization to it. There are a lot of different ways to customize your rig to fit your gaming style and I’m sure people will fall into this quite deeply. Lots of choices for power and prowess for players.
The rig is really what separates this tactical shooter from other games of its type. When I heard this game existed, I kind of hesitated and restrained any excitement because it seems like tactical shooters these days are a dime a dozen. But the rig makes a difference when it comes to gameplay. Having more customizable choices to make with your character means you’re getting more than just an additional skin to make you look pretty or a single weapon that everyone else is getting. The rig truly feels like a personal decision which makes the gameplay more meaningful than other games in this genre. It’s one of the more impressive ideas that come with Exoborne.
Weather
On the gameplay side, the inclusion of weather and big maps looks to make for a good time, while borrowing just a smidge of both from Battlefield 2042, though, I have high hopes of this turning out better.
Starting with the weather, one of the bigger bright spots in the initial preview presentation of the game was how the weather works. The random weather events in the game help to make the environment into another dangerous character the player must worry about during the game. Knowing that you can be taken down by enemies is one thing but getting disrupted and even tossed around the map thanks to bad weather is quite another. It certainly ups the intensity of the title.
The map I played was also huge and every aspect of it felt big. It goes along perfectly with the story, as the environments look worn and decimated, playing within them makes you feel small in a gigantic world. The map had some apocalyptic charm to it that screamed that something went wrong here around every corner and that created an unsettling, always-on-your-guard feeling during gameplay. It represented the narrative well and sold it quite strongly. I can dig that when big gnarly maps are perfectly balanced with an interesting narrative. The weather situation is just the icing on the cake with this one.
Tactical Gameplay
It is what you would expect from a tactical shooter. You hunt, you shoot, you move, and you gather loot along the way. The preview we played was exactly that, though the story, map, and gameplay elements, such as the rig, helped to push it further up the food chain when compared to other shooters of this type. In addition, the gameplay felt good when fighting erupted. Controls need a bit of tweaking but for the most part, it felt familiar, and it was easy to get right into the gameplay. While I know we just got a taste of it, the gameplay seems to be on the right track with how it combines all its right elements to produce some fast and furious fighting on a large scale. I’m intrigued to find out exactly how far they can take it.
On that sweet note, let’s wrap up this preview.
Keeping an eye on the weather
As Exoborne heads toward a more finalized version of itself, this preview proved that the devs are trying new and fun things with the typical tactical shooter gameplay. They seem to have a good formula in place and as the release gets closer, I’m sure they’re going to sew up any loose ends. I’m anxious to see how this turns out.
Until then, we’ll keep an eye on things and report back.
