Some former long-time BioWare developers are about to come out with a new game, Exodus, due next year. A cosmic role-playing game, the project evokes Mass Effect as a clear touchstone, especially given who’s behind it, but it turns out Horizon and Metroid have provided inspiration as well.
Exodus has James Ohlen, Drew Karpyshyn, and Chad Robertson at the helm, all devs with long tenures at BioWare under their belt. Now they’re making games as the outfit Archetype Entertainment, with this debut release being published by Wizards of the Coast.
As an action-RPG, Exodus is comfortable territory for creatives who were involved in the likes of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, as well as the aforementioned journey of the SSV Normandy SR-1. But they’re drawing on ideas outside of the path they’ve trodden before.
“With Horizon, it’s that elemental aspect of combat, where you’ve got to make decisions based on the construction of the things that you’re fighting, and be smart about the tools that you use against it,” Robertson says in an official question-and-answer video.
In available footage, there will clearly be quite a few robotic and mechanical enemies, in line with the gigantic biomechanical dinosaurs Aloy has to hunt across the two Horizon games. Meanwhile, the scale and feel of the universe stems more from Samus Aran’s neck of the galaxy.
“One of the things that really resonates is the exploration, just hopping on a spaceship, being out in the middle of nowhere,” Chris King, game director on Exodus, explains. “I like the loneliness in [Metroid Prime].”
King then provides a little insight into some roguelike elements, such as barriers that require “celestial tech” to bypass, something very common to Samus and her escapades. Between these influences and the fact that Matthew McConaughey is voicing one of the characters, Exodus is sounding very exciting indeed. Now we just have to wait until 2026.
