Capcom's upcoming Exoprimal continues to struggle with its dino identity crisis, drawing comparisons to the latest Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Despite initial speculation that Exoprimal could mark the return of Dino Crisis, the game has faced criticism for resembling another Anthem-like release. A new trailer from the Xbox Games Showcase sheds more light on Exoprimal, revealing even more similarities between the two games. Both Exoprimal and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet explore the manipulation of time, with creatures being pulled from different eras and transformed in paradoxical ways. Beyond their shared prehistoric and time travel themes, there are other uncanny parallels that could lead to comparisons between the two games, catering to different types of players.
Pokemon's Paradox Pokemon Versus Exoprimal's Neosaurs
In terms of time manipulation and the creatures associated with it, Exoprimal and Scarlet and Violet will inevitably be compared. Pokemon offers two categories for comparison: the fossil Pokemon, and Scarlet and Violet's Paradox Pokemon. While the role of fossil Pokemon is relatively small in this comparison, it is the Paradox Pokemon that are directly pitted against Exoprimal's "neosaurs". These Paradox Pokemon, originating from both the distant past and future, are theoretically impossible creatures.
However, when we analyze Exoprimal in comparison to Scarlet and Violet, we find a distinct difference in the portrayal of "dinosaurs". While Exoprimal does feature ordinary dinosaurs and fossil-like creatures, its neosaurs are not anomalies of time but rather distortions caused by time travel. According to Exoprimal's recent story trailer, dinosaurs have been mutated into various neosaur types through the influence of Hi-Xol and Lo-Xol, substances or energies. Interestingly, this fusion of dinosaurs with futuristic sci-fi mutations mirrors the themes of both Scarlet and Violet, representing the past and future respectively.
Pokemon's AI Sada/Turo Versus Exoprimal's Leviathan
In Exoprimal, the presence of dinosaurs and neosaurs is not the only similarity it shares with Scarlet and Violet. The game's antagonistic AI, Leviathan, has the ability to summon these creatures to the present-day for humans and exosuits to battle against. However, the motivations and reasoning behind Leviathan's actions remain unclear. Originally created by Aibius Corporation, the same company responsible for designing the exosuits, Leviathan was intended to assist humanity and guide exosuit pilots. Unfortunately, Exoprimal has fallen into the familiar pattern of featuring a rogue AI, just like its competitors.
Similarly, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet also follow this storyline, with players eventually discovering that Professors Sada and Turo are deceased, and their imposter AIs now control the game. While AI Sada and AI Turo are more transparent about their master plan, they share a commonality with Exoprimal's Leviathan in that they too bring more prehistoric creatures to the present-day. It would be interesting to see Exoprimal offer a unique motivation for Leviathan, either by subverting the rogue AI trope or by distancing itself from Scarlet and Violet.
Exoprimal will be released on July 14, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
