Highlights
- Archetype Entertainment, led by former BioWare icons, has unveiled their first game, Exodus, a sci-fi epic starring Matthew McConaughey.
- The cinematic trailer, made by Blur studio, sets the tone for the game and shows similarities to Mass Effect and Interstellar.
- Exodus will feature time dilation and player choices with long-lasting consequences, allowing players to explore an unfamiliar galaxy and interact with Celestial technology.
The team at Archetype Entertainment just unveiled their first game, Exodus, a third-person sci-fi epic starring Matthew McConaughey. Founded in April 2019, Archetype Entertainment is spearheaded by many former BioWare icons, such as James Ohlen and Drew Karpyshyn, who now serve as the head of studio and lead writer on Exodus, respectively. Responsible for BioWare's golden era of games such as Baldur's Gate 2, Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age: Origins, it's pretty clear that Exodus is their attempt at rekindling some of that magic.
The cinematic trailer made its debut at The Game Awards 2023, and while the footage is not indicative of in-game graphics, it was made by the famous Blur studio, which previously worked with BioWare to make the beloved cinematics for Star Wars: The Old Republic. While the trailer itself does not reveal much about the lore, it does set the tone for what kind of game Exodus is going to be. Though the parallel with the Mass Effect universe is obvious, Exodus seems to also take some inspiration from Christopher Nolan's Interstellar as well.
7 Ex BioWare Employees Are Suing The Company
A group of former BioWare employees is now suing the developer for what they consider to be wrongful termination and possible legal violations.
Matthew McConaughey Will Voice A Major Character in Exodus
Taking this into account, there is arguably no one better to headline Exodus than the lead of Interstellar himself – Matthew McConaughey, who appeared on stage to announce that he would be voicing one of its characters. Pitched as a next-gen, story-driven role-playing game set in the stars, Exodus aims to marry the cinematic storytelling and broad player agency familiar to BioWare fans, with modern AAA gameplay. The concept of Exodus that makes it so interesting is its time dilation, as players will take on the role of the Traveler.
While not outright confirmed by the trailer, Exodus will allow players to witness the repercussions of their choices play out over the course of decades, if not lifetimes. Whereas traveling via the Relays in Mass Effect featured no time dilation, the Gates in Exodus very much slow down time for the Traveler passing through. Using the Gates as a storytelling device, Exodus will explore the butterfly effect of player decisions a step further than Mass Effect could. As Travelers, players will get to explore the vast reaches of an unfamiliar galaxy while avoiding the hostile Celestials, who appear to be one of the primary antagonists of the setting.
No release date has been given for Exodus as yet, but the official website for the game has already launched. Exodus will feature BioWare-style companions, with Tom Vargus being the only one announced thus far, while the players are described as having Celestial heritage from their mother's side, allowing them to interface with Celestial technology. Though Exodus has yet to unveil its gameplay, the setting certainly shows much promise.
