Exodus Devs explain what makes it different from Mass Effect

departure compared with Mass Effect From the moment it was revealed, and, to be fair, it was probably inevitable. Archetype Entertainment is made up of several former BioWare developers, after all, departure is a choice-driven sci-fi RPG with friends, alien worlds, and a vast universe to explore Mass Effect That's still one of the easiest reference points for the game. If anything, the comparison is a compliment, especially considering how much BioWare's own sci-fi RPG franchise left in the genre.

During a recent Future Game Show Showcase briefing from Archetype Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast, I asked departure A team where they welcome that comparison and where they hope the players see the game as its own thing. After receiving responses from every member of the team that was there, it was irrefutably clear that the archetype was not moving forward. Mass EffectBut it doesn't want it either departure See it as a spiritual copy. A much greater focus on time dilation, dynasty-building, leadership, awakening, celestials, and what happens after players leave home, departure A different kind of sci-fi RPG seems to be aiming for recognition.

Exodus is using the Mass Effect comparison as a starting point

Mass Effect It's one of those games that almost any sci-fi RPG is measured against, especially if it emphasizes friends, 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 spacefaring RPG could look like, and because of that, Mass Effect Probably a bad thing. In fact, for many RPG developers, it would probably be an honor. Archetype general manager Chad Robertson seems to feel the same way, if he even believes it departure Ideas are built around Mass Effect Never had:

First off, we love the Mass Effect comparison. It's an amazing science fiction franchise, and some of us were happy to work on it. I think focusing on what we're trying to deliver with Exodus that is unique to us is an overall experience based on certain elements that weren't part of that franchise. Specifically, we've done these things with the story, with the time expansion, for example, that differentiates it and makes it feel unique and makes the weight of the decisions in the game, we hope, feel more important. And we've always had a goal to deliver world-class high-fidelity modern gameplay, and to be a step forward from where Mass Effect left us, as great as it was back in the day, and kind of take the next step in all those areas.

If departure In fact the player selection through the time extension can feel more weighty, already giving it a major way to stand out. Mass Effect There were a lot of big decisions, sure, but departure Some choices are working with the idea that they won't fully play out until they return home for years or even decades. Robertson also mentioned modern gameplay, and that's another area where departure There is a real opportunity. as much as i love Mass EffectI've never liked it because of 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 reasons to want to stay in that universe.

But that's where the comparison gets very difficult departure. Mass Effect It made me care about its characters, but it also made me care about its world. It makes every new place feel like part of something much bigger, and every conversation seems to add more depth to the galaxy that BioWare has built. It's a tough thing to pull off for any new sci-fi RPG, especially one that's going to be compared to. Mass Effect Whether it wants to be or not. According to the story lead Drew Karpyshyn, who also worked Mass EffectArchetypes believe departure He's up for the challenge:

When people talk about Mass Effect, for me, having worked on it, the thing that's impressive about it is just the depth of the universe, and I think we've really taken that to another level. There are many in our universe, between the celestials and the awakened, and shall I say changelings? I think I just did. Sorry, I don't know. But there's so much we've built and there's so much to explore, and it's such a vast universe. That's who loves me. It's just the depth of the science fiction things that we put in there, the different pieces and how they work together, for me, that's really what I think people will recognize, it's made with care and attention and love by true fans of the genre.

It will certainly be interesting to see how deep the archetype's universe really gets once players get their hands on it. Time dilation already feels like the game's biggest hook, and it delivers departure A great way to make missions and choices have more impact than they normally would. Still, that thought can only carry so much. If the world around it feels empty, then all those years in the background don't mean nearly as much. departure Places worth returning to, factions worth learning about, friends worth keeping close, and enough history behind its universe to make players feel like they're stepping into a world that could actually exist.

But when it comes departure' similarity to Mass EffectIt doesn't need to stray as far from BioWare's acclaimed trilogy as possible to prove itself. There's nothing wrong with Archetype building a sci-fi RPG with friends, choices, strange worlds, and big questions about humanity's place in the universe. Mass Effect 3 came out a decade ago, and the genre has had plenty of room to grow since then. If anything, it gives departure Taking some familiar pieces and pushing them forward with ideas BioWare never really got a chance to explore that way. Game director Chris King compared it to the contrast between two other sci-fi giants:

Chad's favorite sci-fi franchise is Star Wars, my favorite franchise is Star Trek. And the reason I bring it up is, if you look at them, they both have spaceships, they both have aliens, but there are a lot of different things. And also how I think about departure. You might take an initial look and be like, “Oh, I see similarities with friends and choices, all these things.” But I think the stories we're trying to tell and some of the things we're using are a little different than what we've done in the past. So, the notion of building a dynasty, going on these missions and being separated from people, themes of what it means to be a leader and how you see it and how people will perceive it. Time extension. There are all these kinds of things that we haven't been able to explore in the past that we're very excited about, and when we start talking about things that we want to do here, those are things that we haven't done before. So, while there may be some ingredients that are similar, there are many things that will make it feel completely different.

In fact, King's comparison is accurate, because departure No need to pretend your equality Mass Effect There aren't. It just needs to prove that those similarities aren't the most interesting thing about it. That would obviously be easier said than done, especially with how much love people have for BioWare's trilogy, but Archetype seems to be drawing comparisons in the right way. Making this case is acknowledging what players have already seen departure There is a different story to tell. 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.