With Exodus, ex-BioWare devs aim to be ‘a titan’ in the RPG space again
As actual play continues to mature, Larian Studios basks in the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, and Warhammer 40,000 gets its deepest video game treatment yet, it’s not a stretch to claim that we’re on the cusp — if not already in the throes — of a role-playing game renaissance. Seen one way, it could mean stiff competition for the next developer to throw its hat in the ring. Through another lens, however, it could be the perfect time for a symbolic comeback. The creative minds at Archetype Entertainment are hoping for the latter.
Founded in 2020 under Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast, Archetype is led by a few veterans of BioWare, the past-its-heyday studio behind Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and the Mass Effect trilogy. On Thursday, at The Game Awards 2023, Archetype (and Matthew McConaughey?!) revealed its RPG Exodus, complete with a lengthy cinematic trailer that sets the stage for its original sci-fi universe. Earlier in December, I spoke with executive producer Chad Robertson and executive creative director James Ohlen about returning to the RPG scene, with Exodus’ defining design concept in tow.
“There are some amazing IPs out there right now in the RPG space,” Robertson said on a video call. “We’d love to be a titan within that. 10 years from now, we’d love fans to look back and think fondly of what we’re building, and be hoping for the next iteration to come out.”
“We’re not just building one game,” Ohlen said. “We’re building a new universe. And there are so many weird stories we can tell within it.”
With a near-mythical protagonist, third-person combat, hints of a precursor civilization, and a cast of companions from far-flung corners of the galaxy, E
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