It's best to go into game demos with a clear mind, but that was never in the cards for Exterminauts, the new co-op game from Dead by Daylight studio Behavior Interactive. Everything about Exterminauts, externally, screams Helldivers 2, from its working class soldiers and anonymized outfits to its hostile wildlife and colorfully pulpy planets.

Exterminauts' developers, who are a distinct team from the one making Dead By Daylight, see the comparisons coming and don't shy away from them, but they also point out that their game was in development for years before Arrowhead's hit shooter came out in 2024.

They also draw a distinction in tone: Exterminauts does not cast you as a dedicated servant of intergalactic democracy, but as militarized, blue-collar pest control cleansing the planet of Tian so that corporate interests can better sap the land of its resources. In that way and more, Exterminauts has more in common with Deep Rock Galactic or Mycopunk.

That's a realization that helped me acclimate to Exterminauts after a few hours with an alpha build—it's got Deep Rock-like milestones, class roles, and mission types. Loadouts begin with a choice of a soft class (called sponsors) that grants passive bonuses and a unique power weapon. There's one that comes with a medic tool and a damage-focused lightning gun that I gravitated toward. You can also bring along gadgets like ammo boxes, med packs, and automated turrets that could singlehandedly flatten a horde (Behaviour admitted these were overpowered at the moment).

Source link