EXODUS is an upcoming sci-fi game set in the far future from Archetype Entertainment, based on the Peter Hamilton novels. Some of the veteran team behind the upcoming game attended The Game Awards, where they shared more background on the game as well as some details regarding its play design, along with a new trailer. The new trailer focuses on Jun Aslan, the main protagonist who can be customized as male or female, and is a descendant of an ancient race of spacefaring humans.
Jun Aslan is a scavenger on a mission to combat the “ROT” which is an infestation threatening life. Along the way, Jun will encounter characters who can join in on the adventure, and all have skill sets that can be customized. From stealth to all-out in-your-face combat styles, players are encouraged to make the game their own and are not confined to a singular design. The developers have also intentionally made the game so that players will have to make morally ambiguous choices, which will impact their relations in different ways throughout the game.
Archetype Entertainment has quickly gained fame with a team that has worked on a number of successful franchises, but its members want to make a new game that will garner similar heartfelt praise from fans. Drew Karpyshyn (senior writer on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for BioWare, lead writer for the first two Mass Effect video games) had the following to say:
“If we achieve our goals, I think we’re going to be standing up there in that upper echelon of RPGs that people look back on, you know, years and years later with just love and affection, and that’s what we’re going for.”
– Drew Karpyshyn
VP and General Manager Chad Robertson elaborated on a previous comment by Drew regarding how players will have multiple directions in which to alter Jun as the game progresses. Will they focus on retaining Jun’s humanity or strive to become something else through the use of something called livestone?
“If you haven’t heard us describe it before, the easiest way to think of it is a material that’s kind of at this intersection of mineral and vegetation. Because of his Celestial DNA, Jun has an ability to manipulate that and work with it in cool ways that affect both combat and core gameplay.”
-Chad Roberts
When asked about RPG elements, Game Director Chris King said there are many systems integrated into the game, including skill trees, weapons, player, and character customizations, and more. Chris emphasizes that this range of customization options is intended to give the player the freedom to make the game more their own, allowing them to play it the way they want to play it.
“We have a constellation skill tree that players will level up in and that applies to Jun. And then we have all kinds of other systems that touch and integrate with this. You’ll be able to upgrade your abilities. Your weapons, the companions can all be upgraded. We have special combat suits; those can be customized and upgraded. “
More information from the interview and presentation can be found on Wccftech (1, 2). According to the latest update, EXODUS is planned to launch in 2027.