Exodus, a sci-fi metroidvania in development by French indie startup Galhmac Game Studio, has been greenlit by the Steam community. Today the independent developer announced that the game would be released “around August 15”.
Exodus tells the story of an alien civilization flung far into the stars after using up the resources of their home planet. Taking to an interstellar journey in the city-ship ‘Exodus’, the colonists search the stars, eventually finding a planet that will support their new civilization. Their landing triggers a terrible event on the eden-like planet, however, “As Exodus was unable to fly, their tried as a last hope to put the whole people into a stasis state” the game’s developers continue. “But one day, a stasis capsule unhooks from its support and falls on the planet…”
Exodus follows the familiar formula of a Metroidvania. In that sense, it appears well-versed in the conventions of that genre - you maneuver through tight environments, use your abilities to scale impossible heights, and blast at your enemies while collecting as many orbs as you can manage.
To our eyes, the levels look wonderfully varied, both mechanically and visually. Everything from industrial hubs covered with lasers and defense drones, to lush forests and jungles give the appearance of a varied adventure. A few environments stand out, such as one where the level’s vertical twists and turns are only illuminated by a tiny glowing orb.
The “exodus to a strange new world” narrative trope seems to be having something of a revival in sci-fi games, with everything from the next Civilization title to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel both determined on charting new frontiers. It’s a sort of inevitable meeting point between Asimov’s Foundation novels, and the popularity of something like Battlestar Galactica. What that means for games - hopefully - is deeper, richer narratives which tap into the stories we know and love already. It’s a good time to be a sci-fi geek.
We’ll have more for you on Exodus once we get our hands on it. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
Peter Yankowski
