Developer(s) – Gahlmac Game Studio
Publisher(s) – Multi-Form
PEGI – 3
Released back in 2013 to a very mixed reception by the Steam community, Exodus is a Metroidvania that was brought out shortly before the influx of games in the genre that would follow from many other indie developers, including Dust: An Elysian Tail, Xeodrifter, Blasphemous, and Hollow Knight. For the most part, the Metroidvania genre has yielded some of the best games of the eighth generation for me with the likes of Axiom Verge, Ori & the Blind Forest, Ori & The Will of the Wisps, and Cathedral, but unfortunately, the same can’t be said of Exodus.
Graphics – 8/10
The one aspect in which I can’t fault the game for, however, is in the graphics. Hand-drawn and set on a mysterious alien planet, the game has been given a very vibrant and colorful atmosphere that has the feel of both tranquility and danger in equal measure. The environmental design is also as wonderfully varied as it should be in any decent Metroidvania title, taking place in forest lands, ancient ruins, and icy mountains. Unlike every other element of this game, the scenery leaves very little to be desired.
Gameplay – 5/10
In terms of gameplay, however, especially compared to most other Metroidvanias, is extremely bland and uninteresting. The combat style is very unoriginal and the range of different abilities that can be acquired throughout for the most part seem to simply conform to the Metroidvania blueprint as opposed to them being a little more diverse than what they do. With games like Alwa’s Awakening and Alwa’s Legacy, both provide something very different in the way of combat and puzzle-solving that make them stand out among many others, but with this game, it doesn’t seem the developers even tried to be perfectly honest.
Controls – 5/10
The controls in Exodus also seem embarrassing even compared to other generic Metroidvanias. The jump mechanics are extremely stiff, and many sequences involve both traditional controller movement and simultaneous point, kind of like in Terraria, but as some sequences require the use of both of these mechanics at the same time, it can cause problems for the player. And a lot of these different kinds of sequences were handled far better in older games in the genre such as Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, so for the developers to have even failed to follow the initial blueprints just make Exodus seem all the more amateurish.
Lifespan – 3/10
The game can be made to last there around 3 hours, which again, falls way short of the average lifespan of a Metroidvania. Though given the number of problems there are with every other aspect of this game, I’m amazed that people have even made it through the first hour. It wouldn’t be so bad if there were a few more things to do around the more open spaces than what there are, but it was a further push that this game needed which the developers seemed unwilling to implement.
Storyline – 4/10
The story of Exodus involves either one of two selectable characters, Zoulux or Ly’sax, who have become stranded on an alien planet named Exodus and explore it in order to uncover the mysteries behind it and to save the populous along the way. Again, it simply follows the blueprint of the original Metroid as opposed to perpetuating a new idea for a story in the same way that Metroidvanias like Blasphemous did. Since there seemed to be very little to the personalities of any of the characters involved, it was far too difficult for me to become emotionally invested in the story.
Originality – 3/10
The main thing that I’ve touched on many times in this review is that the developers simply seemed to be following the blueprint of bigger and better Metroidvania games that came before it, and this can be said for pretty much every aspect of the game; even the visuals, which were the only redeeming quality in my opinion. But the thing is, it couldn’t even follow the blueprint right in terms of things like gameplay and especially controls. So, therefore, the game does stand out to a small degree, but for very much the wrong reasons.
Angrii
In summation, Exodus is a game not to be taken seriously alongside many of the other greater Metroidvania titles that have since been released. It’s available for less than a pound on Steam, but frankly, with how little effort was put into it, players should really be offered money to play it.