Matthew McConaughey drops daily Exodus Trailers like a deep space David Attenborough and they have convinced me 100% to pay attention to this title

Exodus did not impress me much when it was announced during the 2023 Games Awards. Cinematics are plentiful, and the small amount of gameplay that appeared in the second half of the reveal trailer resembled something from a very traditional Mass Effect knockoff. Harvey Randall, a compatriot, said that the game was "kinda neat" but "not much to write home about."

The Mara Yama trailer, created by Archetype Entertainment under the leadership of former BioWare veteran James Ohlen, changed my opinion about the matter earlier this month. It's a cinematic yes, but it's a good one thanks to the ominous narration by Matthew McConaughey who plays an as-yet unidentified role in the game.

Archetype and McConaughey are in full infodump mode two weeks later. They have released four new trailers in the last four days. Each one is a David Attenborough style examination of the creatures inhabiting the Exodus Universe.

The Awakened Bear

The Arkavir

The Awakened Raven

The Koven

The back-and-forth of Awakened, animals genetically engineered to become stronger, smarter or otherwise more useful, and the creations by the post-human Celestials, is interesting. I may be reading too much into this, but I think the juxtaposition was intentional: Is the subjugation we have inflicted on more primitive life forms any different than the cruelties of Celestials. Is it that the callousness and selfishness inherent in human nature will persist, despite millennia's worth of evolution? Is this who we are, no matter what we become?

I don't really know what is going on, except that McConaughey’s slow, gravelly narration has lulled into a state where I spend 20 minutes staring at my hand. He has that affect on people.

I'm also very curious to see what Exodus is cooking up. The gameplay in the 2023 reveal trailer did not impress me at all--if I wanted Mass Effect, then I'd play Mass Effect. But the setting looks interesting and McConaughey really sells it as a guy that has been through some shit.

The pessimist has concerns about this. For now, I like what's there, and I am eager to see what happens next.

Exodus has no release date at this time, but there are a lot of guides and lore on exodusgame.com to help you get a feel for the game.