Exoborne is a game that will sound familiar to fans of both the Division and Apex Legends. From what we’ve played so far, it feels like an extraction shooter and a battle royale. But it has crazy ideas like storms and exo suits resulting in a volatile mix of ideas that somehow work.
Not too long ago, we, the Sirus team tried our hand at the Exoborne Playtest. Our time in the playtest was not what we expected. As a long-time player of Apex Legends, I was used to going between points of interest but in Exoborne, in its current form, there is a lot of trekking across the map to complete arbitrary objectives with the occasional gunfight with other Reborn. I thought I would hate the moments in between fights. However, I was wrong and I ended up enjoying traversal with an exosuit equipped.
While the current playtest has since shut down, I wait with bated breath for any news regarding the next round of drops into the next area of operations.
Note: Being a playtest, expect a fair bit of graphical imperfections. I won't touch on that here. But I will revisit the topic once the game is closer to full release.
Exoborne takes a lot of influence from more than a few shooter sub-genres. It is structured mostly like an extraction shooter in the same vein as Escape From Tarkov but its gunplay is closer to that of the Division, especially in the way you use abilities. It is also more objective-based with a lot of its Objectives focusing on clearing areas and “gathering” food. Weird as it sounds but story progression and customization are tied to these random tasks.
Before entering the map, players can decide what gear to bring into battle. You can choose to go in with the bare necessities or armed to the teeth with the most expensive gear you can afford. The latter option may seem nice but you must know that if you and your team are eliminated from the match, you will lose everything you brought to the mission. Thankfully, the shop isn’t too expensive and you can quickly get back on your feet, ready for the next round.
Once the map is loaded up, you will enter the fray at a random location around the edges of the map. You will have anywhere between 10-20 minutes to finish objectives before your location is exposed to everyone on the server. Stay longer and a bomb that’s strapped on your person will explode. I’m sure nobody wants to end their run that way. By doing it this way, players are encouraged to get something done before they wear out their welcome. It won’t stop players from camping but it’s nice to know that I don’t have to watch my back all the time.
Surprisingly, firing bullets in this game is a lot like hearing the Apex Legends dinner bell. NPCs don’t usually shoot one another so whenever any of us hear gunfire, we make a beeline to its source. It’s something engraved in us from our Apex days, for better or for worse. Actually, there’s little benefit to killing other players other than taking their gear. And honestly, most Reborns we encounter in our matches carry the bare minimum of stuff. The guys with the really good stuff are well-versed in fighting other players. I’m not ashamed to admit that we once lost to a very good team. They had to work to get our stuff though.
I exclusively used the Kodiak exosuit the whole time. It provided the extra layer of protection I needed to do my job as the team’s initiator. I also liked being the team tank and drawing enemy fire while my teammates attacked from the flanks. And thanks to all the movement tech, my friends got to their spots before the enemy knew what was coming. I might try the other suits someday but the Kodiak will always be my go-to option.
The Movement tech is what allows for dynamic and exciting fights. It consists of both a paraglider and a grappling hook. The hook allows you to get to a distance point quickly. The paraglider is deployable if you are high enough from the ground. If you manage to catch a tornado mid-flight, you will travel long distances just like in the trailer. Unfortunately, it’s a whole lot of show and spectacle. Perhaps their lethality will increase and that may be a good way of splitting up the map into sections.
Exiting the map is as simple as choosing an extraction location and paying the pilot a handsome reward. Of course, the sight of a VTOL will draw the attention of nearby NPCs and, more importantly, other players. The defender’s advantage is strong here especially with locations with some verticality to it. Extractions will always be one of the intense parts of any extraction shooter and Exoborne looks like it is prime for some daring escapes.
The last thing I want to talk about is the items. The stuff you bring back from missions can be traded for money. For the most part, the items that take priority are the ones that you will need to create and upgrade your exosuits. I’d say it is worth investing in rare frames. That way you can upgrade it and won’t feel too bad after inevitably losing it.
Games like this will always have players who will invest in the very best if it means giving them a decisive edge in battle. I know this well as my prudent ways cost me a fair bit of losses. But I suppose you can’t expect to win big without putting in some collateral.
This is probably my biggest concern for the game. There will be players who are far more invested and will go to great lengths to stay alive. I hope that there will be restrictions to the number of revive kits we can carry. Goodness knows someone with deep pockets can afford to bring the best armor and a boatload of revive kits. Yes, I’m still bitter about that one team-wipe. All I can say is ‘GGWP’ at that point.
I am excited to return to the game after another round of polish. I haven’t been this excited about a PvPvE game in forever. The last time I felt this way was in the early days of Apex Legends. So when the time comes, I will be more than ready to put the suit back on and I will have my friends come along for the ride again, willingly or unwillingly. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long.
