Exodus Developers Aim to Make Side Quests Feel Integral, Not Tacked On

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The Mass Effect veterans at Archetype Entertainment are taking a stand against artificial bloat in their upcoming sci-fi RPG, Exodus. The studio is dedicated to ensuring that side content feels integral to the world-building, focusing on player curiosity rather than just checking off boxes for rewards.

In an insightful conversation with GamesRadar+, Drew Karpyshyn—the legendary Mass Effect writer who now serves as the narrative director for Exodus—explained that secondary missions are designed to offer meaningful detours. “Our goal is to give players opportunities to explore the corners of the universe that truly interest them, providing depth that supplements the central narrative,” he noted.

“We want to avoid content that feels like a mere afterthought,” Karpyshyn added. “It shouldn’t feel like a chore you’re completing just to grind for skill points. Ideally, the narrative hook should be strong enough that you’d want to see it through even if there weren’t a tangible prize at the end. Of course, players will be rewarded—it’s an RPG, after all—but we want the driving force to be genuine intrigue. By tying these quests to our core themes and companion arcs, we can highlight fascinating aspects of the setting that might not get the spotlight on the primary path.”

Karpyshyn admitted that deciding what makes the final cut is a challenge, though the creative team is never short on ideas. However, there is a fine line between depth and excess. “We simply can’t include every single concept,” he explained. “If we did, the game would easily stretch into thousands of hours. While that sounds impressive in a pitch, it’s not a realistic approach to game development.”