Exoborne is shaping up to be the most accessible extraction shooting game on the market, but will that be enough to ensure its success?

During the past weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in the playtest of Exoborne, an exciting extraction shooter that will allow players to try the game before its official release on console and PC. Although it was entertaining, I must admit I have some concerns about its success, especially considering that the developer Sharkmob had already canceled another project, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt, after just one year of post-launch support.

Exoborne will compete not only with genre titans like Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown 1896 but also with major games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Fortnite. Additionally, it is known that it will be a paid release, which means the game needs to present strong arguments to attract players and convince them to invest their money instead of opting for the numerous high-quality free multiplayer experiences currently available.

Set in the fictional county of Colton, Exoborne takes place in a post-apocalyptic America devastated by climate change and corporate greed. Players assume the role of the Reborn, rebellious survivors fighting in an seemingly endless conflict against Rebirth, an enigmatic tech corporation. The narrative, while typical of the sci-fi genre, adds valuable context that makes the story feel more immersive compared to the sparse lore of other titles like Tarkov.

After an initial tutorial that introduces the story and allows players to capture a small bunker as a base, the game adopts a recognizable format for genre fans. Players descend into an area of Colton County with initial gear that they can customize. From there, they must explore, loot, and fight to reach one of the many extraction points within a 20-minute time limit. Everything they manage to extract will be theirs, but if they are eliminated, they will lose both what they collected and their initial gear.

The stakes are high, and the game heightens the tension by adding exo-rigs, powerful cybernetic suits equipped from the start. Although the initial exo-rig is simple, it provides abilities like a grappling hook and a glider, as well as a powerful melee attack. With resources obtained, more advanced versions with special abilities can be acquired, but they will also be lost upon death, forcing players to carefully evaluate what gear they take on their missions.

In addition to the constant threat from other players, there are non-player characters (NPCs) to face. While players wear high-tech suits, they are not invincible, and even the least equipped enemies can end their runs with a few well-placed shots. Unlike Tarkov, Exoborne presents a more accessible approach for those who are less experienced in extraction shooters.

Taking advantage of the fact that progression would reset at the end of the playtest, I decided to experiment with different weapons. I found a good variety of arms, from submachine guns and shotguns to assault rifles and sniper rifles. I discovered that my best strategy was close combat, especially against large groups of bandits. By using the grappling hook for a quick attack, I could then retreat to a safer location to heal and reload.

Even though PvP battles seemed unbalanced in my experience, the weather played an important role in combat. Weather conditions could be both a blessing and a curse, offering the opportunity to use the glider for quick movement or posing a lethal danger if one gets too close to storms or tornadoes.

My experience was very satisfying from a technical standpoint; I achieved solid performance on my PC with an RTX 3060. Dense scenes and weather effects ran at 75 fps on medium settings, reflecting an optimized performance for a game still in testing.

For now, no release date has been confirmed, but players will be able to enjoy Exoborne on PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5. I will be keeping an eye out for more news about this promising title.