Exodus Devs Explain How It's Different From Mass Effect

Exodus was compared to Mass Effect since it was revealed, and to be fair, it was probably inevitable. After all, Archetype Entertainment is made up of several former BioWare developers, Exodus is a choice-based sci-fi RPG with companions, alien worlds, and a vast universe to explore and Mass Effect is still one of the easiest reference points for this kind of game. If anything, the comparison is a compliment, especially considering the mark BioWare's own sci-fi RPG franchise left on the genre.

I asked during a recent Future Games Show presentation with Archetype Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast Exodus a team where they welcome this comparison and where they hope the players see the game as its own thing. After receiving a response from every team member that was there, it was irrefutably clear that Archetype was not running away from Mass Effectbut he also doesn't want to Exodus be seen as a spiritual copy. Between time dilation, dynasty building, leadership, the Awakened, the Celestials, and a much greater focus on what happens after players leave home, Exodus It seems to be aiming for a completely different kind of sci-fi RPG identity.

Exodus uses the Mass Effect comparison as a starting point

Mass Effect is one of those games that every sci-fi RPG will probably be measured against in some way, especially with its emphasis on companions, player choice, alien civilizations, and a story set in the farthest reaches of space. BioWare's trilogy helped set the standard for what a modern space RPG could look like, which is why it's being compared to Mass Effect is hardly a bad thing. In fact, it would probably be an honor for most RPG developers. Archetype General Manager Chad Robertson seems to feel that way too, though he also believes Exodus is built on ideas that Mass Effect never had:

First off, we love the Mass Effect comparisons. It's an amazing sci-fi franchise and some of us have had the pleasure of working on it. I think the thing that I would focus on in terms of what we're trying to deliver with Exodus that's unique to us is the overall experience based on some elements that just weren't part of the franchise. In particular, we've done these things with the story, such as time dilation, which makes it stand out and feel unique, and the weight of the decisions in the game, hopefully, much more significant. And we've always aimed to deliver truly world-class high-fidelity modern gameplay, and to take a step forward from where Mass Effect left us, as great as it was back then, and really make further strides in all of these areas.

If Exodus it can actually make player selection feel harder due to time dilation, which would already give it one major way to differentiate itself. Mass Effect he had a lot of big decisions to make, sure, but Exodus he works with the idea that some choices may not fully manifest themselves until years or even decades have passed back home. Robertson also mentioned modern gameplay, and this is another area where Exodus he has a real opportunity. How I love Mass Effectnever loved it for the combat. It was fine for its time, and it certainly got better as the series went on, but the characters, story, and atmosphere were always the real reason I wanted to stay in this universe.

But there the comparison is much more difficult Exodus. Mass Effect he made me care about his characters, but he also made me care about his world. It made each new location feel like part of something much bigger, and each conversation seemed to add even more depth to the galaxy that BioWare had built. That's tough for any new sci-fi RPG, especially one that's going to be compared to Mass Effect whether he wants it or not. Narrated by Drew Karpyshyn, who also worked on it Mass EffectThe Archetype seems to believe Exodus is ready for this challenge:

When people talk about Mass Effect, for me when I was working on it, the thing that was impressive about it was the depth of the universe, and I think that's what we really took to a whole new level. There are so many in our universe, between Celestials and Awakened, and can I say Changelings? I think I just did. Sorry, I don't know. But there's so much that we've built in and so much to explore and it's such a huge universe. That's what I love. It's just the depth of the sci-fi stuff that we're putting in there, the different pieces and how they work together, that's really what I think people will recognize, it's something that's been made with care and attention and love by true fans of the genre.

It will certainly be interesting to see how deep the Archetype universe really gets once players get their hands on it. Time dilation already seems like the biggest hook of the game to me, and it delivers Exodus a great way to give missions and choices more impact than normal. Still, this idea can only carry so much on its own. If the world around her seems empty, then all the years passing in the background won't mean nearly as much. Exodus it needs places worth returning to, factions worth learning about, companions worth keeping close, and enough history behind its universe to make players feel like they've entered a world that might actually exist.

But when it comes down to it Exodus' similarities with Mass Effectit doesn't have to stray so far from BioWare's acclaimed trilogy to prove itself. There's nothing wrong with Archetype building a sci-fi RPG with companions, choices, strange worlds, and big questions about humanity's place in the universe. Mass Effect 3 came out over a decade ago, and the genre has had plenty of room to grow since then. If anything, it will Exodus a chance to take some familiar pieces and push them forward with ideas BioWare never had the chance to explore in quite the same way. Game director Chris King compared it to the difference between two other sci-fi giants:

Chad's favorite sci-fi series is Star Wars, my favorite series is Star Trek. And the reason I bring that up is because if you look at them, they both have spaceships, they both have aliens, but there's a lot of different things. And somehow I'm also thinking about Exodus. You could probably look at it at first glance and go, “Oh, I see similarities with companions and choices, all that stuff.” But I think the kind of story we're trying to tell and some of the things we're experimenting with are quite different from things we've done in the past. So the idea of building a dynasty, going on these missions and being separated from people, these themes of what it means to be a leader and how you approach it and how people will perceive it. Time dilation. There are all these kinds of things that we haven't been able to explore in the past that we're excited about, and when we start talking about things that we want to do here, those are things that we've picked up that we haven't done before. So while there may be some ingredients that are similar, there are a lot of things that will make it look a little different.

Indeed, King's analogy is apt because Exodus he doesn't have to fake his resemblance Mass Effect they are not there. He just needs to prove that the similarities are not the most interesting thing. Of course, that's a lot easier said than done, especially with how much love people still have for BioWare's trilogy, but Archetype seems to be approaching the comparison the right way. It's an acknowledgment of what players already see when they claim it Exodus has a different story. If the full game can back it up, Mass Effect it may still be the first comparison players make, but it shouldn't be the last.