After a year of waiting, the gameplay trailer for Archetype Entertainment’s Exodus has finally been released. Developed by a team of former BioWare employees, the trailer gives a strong sense of familiarity to anyone who played the Mass Effect series. With a third-person viewpoint, a sleek look, and a mix of shooting and melee combat with alien enemies, there’s a lot that’s in common with Mass Effect, even if some of it is more reminiscent of Andromeda than of the original trilogy. However, Exodus will bring new elements to the table.
The story of Exodus focuses on humanity’s fight for survival in a dangerous alien galaxy and their quest for lost technology to face a powerful enemy. The trailer shows exciting action scenes, including intense gun battles and a surprising fight with a heavily armored grizzly bear, which adds a boss-level twist compared to the Mass Effect series. Exodus will clearly be competition for Mass Effect, but whether it can find its place in the crowded sci-fi RPG market remains to be seen.
Exodus Gameplay Trailer Reveals A New Look At The Game
Exodus Looks Great In Its Gameplay Reveal
Archetype Entertainment has revealed the gameplay of its new sci-fi RPG, Exodus, in a recently released trailer. The footage shows third-person battles featuring alien enemies and even a surprising confrontation with a heavily armored grizzly bear. There are so many similarities to the Mass Effect series that it looks like a sequel to Mass Effect Andromeda. This is seen in the character designs, movement mechanics, and overall style. However, while the inspiration is there, the game clearly goes its own way.
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Players will take on the role of Juno, a customizable character who can use a grappling hook to navigate different environments, adding an interesting twist to exploration and combat. The trailer suggests that the game’s story will be shaped by player choices, reflecting the developers’ signature approach, and will impact the future of humanity over many years.
The narrative revolves around humanity’s fight for survival in a dangerous alien galaxy after leaving a dying Earth. This backdrop sets the stage for a quest to recover lost technology necessary to fight against the powerful Celestials. Celestials seem to be mysterious beings threatening human existence. The game also seems to show deep relationships with companions that could lead to romance. However, because Exodus is still not close to being finished, a lot may change throughout development.
Why Exodus Looks So Much Like Mass Effect
Exodus Looks Like A Sequel To Andromeda
Exodus and the Mass Effect trilogy look very similar, and that’s on purpose. The team at Archetype Entertainment includes many former BioWare staff members, like Creative Director James Ohlen, who played a key role in creating games such as Baldur’s Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, and Mass Effect: Andromeda. This connection explains the many similarities in the gameplay shown in the trailer.
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The game uses a third-person view, similar to Mass Effect, which sets the right mood. The main character, Juno, moves around similarly to Ryder in Andromeda. The combat combines both shooting and melee fighting against alien enemies, similar to Mass Effect, even at one point using what looks like an Omni-Blade.
James Ohlen is joined by two other Bioware veterans: Drew Karpyshyn, the Lead writer for
Mass Effect 1
and
2,
and developer Chad Robertson.
Visually, the game also resembles Mass Effect, featuring futuristic buildings and dark environments with a similar color scheme and style. The dialogue feels comparable, too, which suggests that the story focuses on good writing and relationships — traits also found in Ohlen’s earlier works.
Additionally, the main storyline about humanity escaping a dying planet and facing powerful alien forces in a new galaxy mirrors the central plot of the Mass Effect series. While Exodus aims to create its own unique identity, the trailer hints that it feels like a spiritual successor created by developers who understand what makes a great space opera RPG.
Will Exodus Be Able To Stand Out From Mass Effect?
Who Wins The Fight?
The similarity between the Exodus trailer and Mass Effect is exciting in some regards, but it could be bad for a game trying to carve out its own identity. While the involvement of former BioWare developers is a perfectly good reason for the game to resemble those past works, there are several ways in which it ultimately could set itself apart.
For example, the introduction of a grappling hook for movement allows for more dynamic and acrobatic gameplay, which is different from the more straightforward movement in Mass Effect and the jet pack spamming of Andromeda. Additionally, the mechanics of time dilation could change the story significantly. This feature might make players think deeply about their choices and their long-term impacts on the game world, potentially creating a different type of narrative experience that Mass Effect doesn’t offer.
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The game’s villains, the Celestials, are described as having earthly origins, which hints at interesting stories about humanity’s evolution and its complicated relationship with its history. This might make the story feel less like a typical alien invasion plot and more about dealing with humanity’s past actions over thousands of years. If developers make it feel different, they can avoid making the audience feel like they’re replaying Mass Effect. At any rate, if the game takes heed of what to do differently from Andromeda, it could provide a much better experience than the last Mass Effect outing.
Ultimately, whether Exodus succeeds depends on how well it combines these unique features. Exodus is different enough that it offers a brand-new experience. If the developers can highlight the new mechanics and story elements, Exodus could stand out as a noteworthy sci-fi RPG instead of just being seen as a “Mass Effect clone.” Archetype Entertainment has plenty of time in the pre-alpha stage to refine these ideas and deliver something new and fresh.
Source: Exodus/YouTube
