Archetype founder regrets Exodus looks too much like Mass Effect

Exodus has repeatedly drawn comparisons to Mass Effect. Archetype was founded by BioWare veteran James Ohlen and includes other former BioWare devs, and Ohlen says 'Mass Effect had a big influence.' Now that he has left Archetype and the games industry, he admits he 'failed to get us to go further away from [Mass Effect]' visually.

He stresses the team is working to give Exodus its own appearance: 'The team is still doing a good job at moving it away so that it has its own look.' Ohlen also says he 'successfully [fight] against Star Wars' and adds, 'We can't look like Star Wars.' One design choice meant to set the game apart is the Awakened — 'the animals who have been bred to have intellectual capability' — born from the challenge of creating a truly unique alien presence.

'The thing about science fiction I've always felt is that it's so hard to do a unique alien,' he says. 'When have you seen a science fiction game where you have intelligent wolves and tigers and frogs and all that?

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