Exoborne: A High-Octane Extraction Shooter Preview

Get in, grab the loot, and get out. That's the core gameplay loop of Exoborne, an upcoming extraction shooter that elevates the familiar formula with powerful Exo-Rigs, dynamic weather effects, and grappling hooks. After a 4-5 hour preview, Exoborne shows strong potential to make a significant impact on the genre.

The Exo-Rigs are central to Exoborne's identity. Currently, three distinct Rigs are available: the Kodiak (shield, powerful ground slam), the Viper (health regeneration on kills, strong melee), and the Kerstrel (enhanced mobility, jump and hover capabilities). Each Rig can be customized with unique modules, further enhancing their abilities. While the limited number of Rigs feels restrictive, developer Shark Mob remains tight-lipped about future additions.

The gameplay itself is satisfying. Weapons have a weighty feel, melee attacks are impactful, and the grappling hook adds a thrilling dimension to traversal. Unpredictable weather events, including tornadoes and rain, significantly impact movement and strategy. Fire tornadoes offer a risky but rewarding shortcut, but venturing too close proves fatal.

Risk and Reward: The Core Mechanic

Risk versus reward is central to Exoborne's design. A 20-minute timer triggers a location broadcast to all players, initiating a 10-minute extraction window. Extracting earlier yields less loot, but staying longer increases the potential rewards. Loot is scattered throughout the environment, with the most valuable prizes being other players' possessions and artifacts. Artifacts, essentially loot boxes, require keys and successful extraction to claim their contents. High-value loot zones, heavily guarded by AI, offer substantial risk for substantial reward.

The game strongly encourages teamwork. Downed players aren't immediately eliminated; self-revives and teammate revives provide a fighting chance, though successful resuscitation requires careful coordination and timing.

Two key concerns emerged from the preview. Firstly, Exoborne strongly favors coordinated squads. While solo play is possible, the experience is significantly enhanced with a reliable team. This is a common challenge in squad-based extraction shooters, but it's particularly noticeable given the game's non-free-to-play model.

Secondly, the late-game remains unclear. While PvP encounters were enjoyable, the intervals between them felt lengthy. The developer's focus on future PvP development is promising, but needs further clarification to fully assess its long-term appeal.

Exoborne's PC playtest, running from February 12th to 17th, will offer a more comprehensive look at the game's potential.