Matthew McConaughey is (quite literally) on a roll. After playing King of Rock and Roll in Netflix’s Agent Elvis, the Hollywood heavyweight is now turning to video games, ready to make his debut in Archetype Entertainment’s upcoming Exodus, a brand-new AAA science fiction action-adventure RPG. The 54-year-old actor surprised audiences with a cameo at this year’s The Game Awards where he unveiled the first action-packed story trailer for upcoming project. McConaughey is set to play a major role in the game and teased that he would have “a personal relationship” with players, a mechanic that remains to be seen in the actual gameplay.
We also don’t know what McConaughey’s role will be or how impactful it will be on the game’s story. Will he be a playable character, or just appear in cut scenes? Or is Exodus planning to go the Cyberpunk 2077 route and have McConaughey’s character play a ubiquitous role, haunting our journey like ‘Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand? Only time will tell. Exodus is designed to deliver a deep emotional experience with “broad player agency and modern AAA gameplay.” You’ll play as Jun, the heir of the legendary Traveler Orion Aslan.
As per the game’s official site, “40,000 years ago, humanity was forced to abandon a dying Earth. Taking to the stars in massive ark ships, we found a habitable galaxy, in Centauri. Here, we are the underdogs, struggling for survival in a cold and hostile galaxy. Teetering on the edge of extinction, our only hope for salvation lies with the Travelers – brave heroes and explorers descended from the early colonists on those first ships that left Earth long ago…”
The emotional story trailer showcases cinematic scenes set in the breathtaking expanse of the cosmos, filled with interstellar travel, unique alien enemies, third-person gunplay, and the brand-new “Time Dilation” mechanic that promises to add depth and consequence to player choices. This will be Archetype Entertainment’s first release, a new Austin-based studio owned by Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizard Of The Coast and composed of industry veterans from companies such as BioWare, 343 Industries, Naughty Dog, and others.
Talking a bit about the upcoming title, James Ohlen, co-founder, studio head, and executive creative director at Archetype Entertainment, said, “Exodus introduces an innovative new sci-fi world that forces players to face the consequences of their choices over time.”
He further went on to add, “We introduce the player, as the Traveler, to an original sci-fi universe, a world created with an incredible level of detail in collaboration with award-winning sci-fi authors. The gameplay setting and story we created is built around the impact of Time Dilation, a concept I’ve been fascinated with since I was 12 years-old. We use Time Dilation as a catalyst impacting the choices you make in-game that sets in motion events affecting your relationships with your loved ones, and your entire civilisation, for generations.”
Exodus is currently in active development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with no announcement regarding its official release date. Archetype is looking for talented developers and designers to join their team — you can check out open positions here.
