Eximius: Seize the Frontline is an FPS/RTS hybrid 5v5 multiplayer game developed and published by Ammobox Studios. The core multiplayer gameplay loop centers around the aspects of both a traditional RTS as well as any typical FPS. This combination should lead to intense combat situations, players, and AI fighting over a command post while opposing commanders build and deploy forces to assist their teammates. However, Eximius’ fatal flaw is that it is not a complete game. This is a demo, an early alpha that’s being priced at $30. The game does have a Discord server where the devs talk about their plans and players can interact with each other but given its unpolished nature and a dwindling player population, it’s difficult to recommend Eximius.
An Interesting Concept, Half-Baked
Eximius: Seize the Frontline’s core gameplay loop is, on paper, great. Four players on each team are designated officers with the 5th player acting in the “commander” role. The officers play the FPS half of Eximius and the commanders play the RTS half. Officers are tasked with taking objectives and killing enemies, including AI and players. Commanders are tasked with building out their bases and using the resources gained/captured to upgrade buildings and deploy AI soldiers/vehicles to assist the officers in their objectives. There are two modes to play, a PVP and a PVE mode. PVP works as described earlier but PVE is essentially a wave defense game, where officers must defend and capture objectives from waves of AI. There are several difficulties for the PVE mode and teamwork is required. Fighting AI is a lot harder when there aren’t enough officers doing their jobs.
The core gameplay of both the FPS and the RTS halves are serviceable. Guns react how you would expect and the commanders’ controls, albeit a bit clunky, resemble traditional RTS’s. It seemed the developers were fans of both Starcraft and Halo and decided, what happens if we combine the two? The combination works…to a certain extent. Having only 4 actual players can make traversing the rather large maps feel empty and life-less. There were moments where it felt like I was running to what I thought was an active battlefield, only to find that all the AI were dead and the other players hundreds of meters away. The officers’ weapons are also hard to use, with intense recoil and low damage. You will need the help of your Battlesuit’s abilities and AI teammates to kill even a small squad of enemies. Players are also squishier than I expected, so weapons like shotguns or SMGs can be difficult to use. Succeeding on the ground as an officer necessitates having an active and competent commander, which leads to the next problem.
Bad commanders ruin games. Whether it be a lack of communication or not supporting the officers on the ground, if your team has a bad commander, you might as well look for a new server. The commander role isn’t that complex if you’ve played RTSs before but the fact that the success of your teammates on the ground is linked to how well you assign forces, the kind of troops you build and the support that you create, means no matter how good an officer is, if their commander isn’t up to snuff, the game is lost. This can be fixed through balance patches though; maybe make the officers’ weapons deal more damage to AI, add a sort of mercy buff so that if a team is starting to fall behind badly, the commander gets a slight boost in resources. Like its inspiration, Eximius: Seize the Frontline has a lot of depth behind its core gameplay, the interactions between officers and commanders, how to best use AI soldiers, etc. However, this gameplay is ruined, ultimately, by the game’s current state.
Dead on Arrival
Ultimately, this is an unfinished game. Animations are clearly unfinished, almost like half the key frames got deleted when the file was exported. Hit detection is spotty. The sound effects are underwhelming. The weapons and abilities feel like they’re just in the early stages of testing. The fact that the developers are charging money for what is essentially an early alpha is unforgiveable. If you were to tell me that this was like the second or third “completed” build of a game and that Eximius was going to launch at the end of this year or next year, I’d say this is a very promising game to keep an eye on, at least if some of the mechanics interest you. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I mean, the max player population in total of this game was only about 300. Many of the servers I joined were not even in my region and that’s if I even have a choice. Most of the servers are either empty or only have a few players and there aren’t even that many servers to start with.
I would not recommend buying this game under any circumstances, outside of an Among Us style resurgence with streamers or a huge public overhaul like No Man Sky. This game is doomed from the beginning, unfinished, unpolished, and losing players rapidly. If you have $30 lying around that you want to waste, you’re better off buying something else. If you want to play an RTS, buy an RTS. If you want to play an FPS game centered around squad mechanics, buy Battlefield or Insurgency. Unfortunately, Eximius: Seize the Frontline just doesn’t have enough going for it to justify a price point.
Check Out the Eximius: Seize the Frontline Trailer:
Eximius: Seize the Frontline is available for PC via Steam.
My name is Matt Tran and I have been playing video games since I could remember holding a controller. I've always been a hardcore gamer growing up, from the hectic MW2 and Halo 3 lobbies, my many journeys through several Halo clans and my current exploits with my Destiny 2 clan. I love shooters and RPGs and overanalyzing every component of every game I've played, from weapon stats to ideal perks. When I have time to play other games, I currently play Genshin Impact and Star Wars Squadrons.
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