If someone has ever been playing a real-time strategy (RTS) game and thought they'd like to take control of one of their troops, or if they wish they had better control over the NPC troops while playing a first-person shooter (FPS), Eximus: Seize the Frontline blends the FPS and RTS genres making for a rather unique experience. However, there's a reason why commanding officers during real-life battles tend to stay out of the fray, and that is put on display while playing Eximus.
Eximus: Seize the Frontline is the first game from small developer team Ammobox Studios and aims to combine first-person combat with real-time strategy base building and troop commanding. Eximus focuses heavily on its multiplayer experience with a small selection of missions available to offline players. While Eximus' gameplay is unique and quite enjoyable, its complex nature makes it harder for players with no RTS background to understand the game's mechanics.
In online matches, players are split into two teams of five and are assigned to one of Eximus' two factions: Axeron & GSF. Before the game begins, one player is selected as the role of commander which will have control over the RTS portion of the game. The other four players are officers and will use their skills in combat to defeat enemy troops and capture objectives. The commander can relinquish themselves of their role at any point during the match, and players can assume the position once it has become available. Commanders can also play in first-person and participate in combat, but the game's fast pace makes it imperative that commanders focus solely on base building and troop management.
The main focus is on multiplayer battles, but Ammobox Studios missed a big opportunity to capitalize on Eximus' rich lore. The game opens with a lengthy cutscene explaining how the world has fallen into disarray and the two factions are at war with one another because of their worldviews. While both want to rebuild society to its former glory, their methods cause them to butt heads. Despite having this rich world development, there is no story mode to continue with its interesting narrative. At the very least Eximus could provide a set of challenge modes beyond the initial tutorial for players who are more interested in the game's story than its multiplayer.
The two factions that are introduced at the beginning of the game successfully add a lot of variety to Eximus' gameplay. Axeron Corporation focuses on the power of technology over numbers which is relayed in-game by faster and easier building but slower troop development. Global Security Force prefers traditional weaponry and lives by the motto "quantity over quality," hoping to overwhelm their enemies with the number of troops they can produce. Each faction has a different set of weapons and upgrades to choose from which means players will have to learn how to fight on both sides.
Eximus is impressive for how it blends both RTS and FPS, but it's let down by its complexity. The lengthy tutorial is a must for new players as there is a lot to take in at first. Unlike a traditional FPS, players have to learn about resource management, which points they need to take, and how to rely heavily on teamwork through these new lenses. No player is going to solo squads of AI and capture troops by themselves, and commanders have to strategize while relying on their actual teammates to make the right decisions. Eximus is a ton of fun when players start to grasp all of its mechanics, but it can take a long time to get there.
For an unconventional mashup of genres, Eximus is a pretty solid game. The genre blend may be a bit too niche for most gamers, and the responsibility of the commander may be frustrating for players who expect to dominate their opponents with impeccable aim. Regardless, Eximus: Seize the Frontline is worth trying for those who enjoy both FPS and RTS games.
Eximus: Seize the Frontline is available now on PC. Screen Rant was provided with a digital download code for the purpose of this review.