Exanima

An Introduction for the Inept

Exanima’s two calling cards are physics-based combat and immersive exploration, but the potential is there for so much more. Set in a low fantasy, medieval dungeon, Exanima pits you, a lone wanderer, against disorienting, labyrinthian level design and its roaming undead residents. In this dungeon, you start from nothing and must scavenge together armor to shield your fragile body and weapons to forge your path forward. In Exanima, saving your game is limited to a slim few level checkpoints and healing items are extremely scarce. Your characters health is the most precious commodity, so careful exploration and mastery of combat are of utmost importance.

Exanima is an early access game and has been for quite some time. Updates are slow and steady and up until recently the game clearly has been a work in progress. In the last two major updates, I think version 0.8 and now the latest 0.9, Exanima is coming very close to feeling like a complete package. Who knows how long it will be until 1.0, all I know is that Exanima, right now is an incredible achievement in unique, immersive gameplay and world design.

Physics-Based Combat

Exanima’s combat is a classic example of having to play it to understand it. From the outside looking in, a viewer might think character movements look goofy. On to top of that, the physics-based description can certainly sound like a gimmicky claim used for marketing. Not until you control a character in game and probably not until you have more than five hours under your belt will Exanima’s combat start making sense or look remotely cool. Bottom-line though, in my opinion, Exanima’s combat is worth the investment. Here’s reason number one: head taps.

The number of times I audibly gasp while in combat in Exanima is ridiculous. This game has no right being this brutal and visceral. Connecting the tip of your billhook to the exposed jaw of an enemy is incredibly satisfying because the connection is so real and physical. You can feel the weight of your swings and the resistance when those swings make contact. This is why the physics-based combat shines.

I wouldn’t really describe Exanima’s combat as realistic, I think that misses the mark. It’s better described as tactile, dynamic, and unique. I think I’ve already done justice in describing the combat’s tactility in the previous paragraph. Suffice to say, there’s no animations. Your control over your character is marionette-like and enemies are bound by the same laws of physics.

But if you’re not convinced, take the clip below as an example. In it I’m up against a ghoul, a fast-paced, forward-pushing beast that can gang up on you really quick. Prior to this, I had been using a wide-swinging poleaxe as my go-to weapon for most enemies. Against the ghouls I found myself mistiming my swings and not being able to create space again. Here I’ve switched to a spetum, a forked-spear, pole weapon of sorts. I’ve found great success using the down the middle thrust attack to keep distance and use the ghoul’s momentum against them. Another benefit is that my hands and weapons always stay in front of me, ready to parry incoming blows even if I miss. This is how detailed this combat system gets! I’m talking about my hand and weapon position relative to my body and my enemy! Those wide poleaxe swings I mentioned before result in your arms and weapon extending out to your left or right. This leaves the perfect opportunity for ghouls to clog up your space and make it tough for you to bring your weapon back between you and your enemy, how cool is that…

The dynamism comes into play with the physical world around your character. In the first video, the first short clip I shared, I look to be in someone’s kitchen. Doors are half open, baskets lay strewn about, tables and chairs crowd the center of the room, etc. You can also observe me feinting a stab briefly to bait the enemy through the door. In Exanima, the environment influences the feel and difficulty of combat. Imagine the “Goring Ghouls” clip except in the kitchen. I’d be backpedaling into chairs and baskets, tripping over myself and ultimately being cornered. A ghoul in your kitchen is very different from a ghoul in your courtyard. But the environment effects more than your movement, it also influences how you attack your enemy. If we look at the first enemy in the kitchen, why didn’t I just start swinging from the get-go? Well, if I used either an overhead or side-to-side swing my sword would have clipped the door frame, taking the momentum out of my swing. The thrust works best in tight spaces but I only used it once the enemy came into full view. So, you can see how dynamic Exanima’s combat can be when you have to consider the arena itself. A confrontation can go from being manageable to a disaster really quick all because you strafed into upturned bench and lost your balance.

The last descriptor I used to describe Exanima’s combat was ‘unique’. That’s a tough one to expand upon especially when it’s easier to just show you. I just know I haven’t played anything that’s looked or felt like this before. I feel like over the years I’ve developed some competence in the system, but I have nowhere near scratched the ceiling. Especially in reviewing this footage I can tell my footwork is sloppy, I can lose track of my cursor, and I’m slow to recognize enemy weaknesses and take advantage. That’s another exciting aspect of Exanima’s combat, it’s fun to learn and allows room for growth. Enjoy this extended fighting sequences, these are so much fun:

Immersive Exploration and Dedication to Detail

I’ve grown to appreciate the simplicity of Exanima’s systems through their depth. There’s not many menus or stat pages, no cutscenes or set pieces for instance. As a result of the simplicity, the game world is in full focus all the time and in my opinion it’s worthy of that focus. I really believe that the primary focus of the world design is to create a believable, fictional world. With the gallery of screenshots, I’ve included below, I’ve tried to showcase the detailed and diverse areas you’ll encounter in Exanima. Not all of them are that mechanically beneficial for you to explore, but that won’t stop me from pouring over the finer details of a dead man’s living quarters.

In Exanima you’ll come across dining rooms and kitchens, smithies, haberdasheries, grand halls, frontlines of battle, glassblower and pottery workshops, alchemist labs and medical wings, marketplaces and armories, oh and before I forget bathrooms, plenty of bathrooms. So, what I’m attempting to prove here is that this is a fully fleshed out world where, most importantly, everything is given equal attention. Shelves in the tavern are stuffed with boxes holding plates and cups. Tables in the labs are laden with odd beakers and mysterious journals. The cobbler’s shop has cubbies full of worn shoes. And did I mention that none of this is stapled down? Yes, everything is an interactable physics object. If you get in a fight with a skeleton in a bar, you bet you’ll be tripping over upturned stools and knocking over plateware.

The visuals connected to Exanima’s exploration scratch a similar itch to that of Resident Evil Remake’s mansion. An aspect I love about that remake is the intricate detail that is poured into the 2D backgrounds. Slowly walking through a hallway has never been more intriguing and entrancing, as a clock ticks in the background, moths flicker around a lamp, and shadows are cast on the walls. Exanima, similarly, has a fantastic ambiance. The world design invites you to slow down and experience every detail as an eerie soundtrack drones on in the background. If you’re the type to only be motivated by quests, story, or NPCS, Exanima might not be right for you, at least at this moment. All that stuff is very bare bones right now and I’m not sure what the end goals are for the project in those areas.

The Best Armor System Ever?

I couldn’t end this article without mentioning Exanima’s armor system. In keeping with the theme that details matter, the armor system is the most intricate and extensive I’ve seen in any video game I’ve played. This shit is so damn cool, check out this quick demonstration I put together:

Each of those pieces of armor/clothing I listed out has its own stats. Quality, condition, coverage, encumbrance, and then protections against impact, slash, crush, and pierce damage. See an example of that item description menu below:

What ties this altogether is that fact that where you get hit in combat matters. The splint armor I adorned in the video demonstration while light weight leaves gaps. If you notice, there’s an opening between my gauntlets and the upper arm coverage from my cuirass. If I were to be nicked by something sharp there, I’d take permanent damage to my health pool. A plate arm harness would solve this problem at the cost of more encumbrance.

Verdict

★★★★1/2

Exanima is one of the most uniquely impressive games I’ve ever played, and it’s not even done yet. The year is 2023, Exanima is in version 0.9, and I can confidently say the product is worth your time and money. In just my last playthrough I racked up 30 hours exploring the world of Exanima all over again. So, while it is in early access and there’s no timetable for release, this is an easy recommendation.

Bonus Section: A Video

I’ll end this article with a video I put together for fun, but also to demonstrate what words and pictures struggle to capture about Exanima. If you’re unfamiliar with Exanima and still confused about what this game really is, check this out.