A brand new AAA sci-fi RPG coming from former Mass Impact veterans would have been sturdy sufficient as an elevator pitch in and of itself, however every little thing that developer Archetype Leisure has revealed about Exodus has solely made it that rather more of an thrilling prospect. Most just lately, the studio make clear what is going to function the central hook for the game- time dilation, and the way each time gamers journey lengthy interstellar distances, after they come again residence, years and a long time could have handed for the individuals they left behind.
Talking in a current interview with GamingBolt, narrative director Drew Karpyshyn – recognized for his work on titles like Mass Impact, Knights of the Previous Republic, and extra – defined in better element what function time dilation will play in Exodus, and the way it will tie into its choice-and-consequence mechanics.
In Exodus, gamers will play as a Traveler, tasked with touring nice distances in a hostile, alien galaxy with the intention to make sure the continued survival and progress of your individuals. As Karpyshyn explains, nevertheless, doing so will come at a price. Gamers must make “laborious decisions” with “long-term penalties”, with time dilation being the centerpiece of the story and the way it will react to gamers’ decisions.
“Time Dilation is among the key options of our recreation, and an inescapable a part of being a Traveler,” Karpyshyn instructed GamingBolt. That is the nice sacrifice each Traveler should make – to avoid wasting humanity, you lose years and even a long time of time with those you care probably the most about. The sport is all about laborious decisions and long-term penalties, and the results of Time Dilation are central to that battle, so we’re focusing your complete core story round this cycle.”
How precisely will time dilation work when it comes to gameplay mechanics although? As per Karpyshyn, when touring shorter distances – like a planet or moon in your personal system – gamers gained’t must journey at lightspeed, which, in flip, means time dilation gained’t be an element. That mentioned, each time you set out on one thing that isn’t a shorter mission, that can change.
“Time Dilation solely comes into play when Vacationers go on Exodus – a serious journey to a different system gentle years from their homeworld,” Karpyshyn defined. “Exploring a planet or moon inside your personal system doesn’t trigger Time Dilation, as you do not want to journey at close to lightspeed to go to these close by places. You’ll nonetheless make decisions that have an effect on the sport on these shorter missions, however Time Dilation solely turns into an element once you put together and embark on a real Exodus.”
In the identical interview, Karpyshyn instructed us that the first purpose for Archetype Leisure is to make sure that gamers “really really feel the burden of each resolution they make” within the recreation.
Exodus is in improvement for PS5, Xbox Collection X/S, and PC. Keep tuned for our full interview with Karpyshyn.
