"Do you know what fear is? The Mara-Yama do."
"Exodus," Archetype Entertainment’s expansive sci-fi RPG, could be 2025's most sought-after gaming title. A new cinematic trailer for it, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, was just unleashed this week — and it might be the single most unsettling teaser you'll see all year.
The hideously deformed alien creatures, which were once human beings, in their odd arkship evoke a hellish air of Lovercraftian cosmic dread that viewers will not soon forget. In the spirit of Halloween and Allhallotide, Archetype thought they’d kick off the month of October with a disturbing new reveal by introducing what's certainly the weirdest enemy in the entire Exodus universe — the Mara-Yama.
Here's the official Mara-Yama reveal description:
"Navigating Centauri is no easy task, with the threat of many powerful enemies whose technological ingenuity far exceeds our own waiting to wipe us from existence. Humanity must navigate this dark and dangerous sci-fi universe with extreme caution.
"Among the most terrifying threats are the Celestials we call the Mara-Yama. No one knows what the Mara-Yama call themselves. They have no known territory or homeworld, living in massive space citadels secreted in desolate regions of space. Waiting. Hunting."
McConaughey plays a major role in the "Mass Effect" creators' extraordinary gaming endeavor: He's an all-knowing spokesperson and timeless observer named C.C. Orlev, a character that we'll be hearing much more about in future updates from the gaming division of Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast.
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Per Archetype's press notes on the plot of their AAA title: "In 'Exodus,' humanity, having fled a dying Earth, has found a new home in a hostile galaxy — here, we are the underdogs fighting for our survival. Players step into the role of The Traveler, humanity's last hope. Your job is to journey to distant stars on the hunt to steal alien weapons and technology from the most powerful enemy in the universe: the Celestials. There is one catch, however — time dilation.
"Days for the Travelers on interstellar missions are decades back home. The sacrifices players make to protect their loved ones will impact their entire civilization for generations to come. Returning home, players will face the consequences of their choices, and must determine: How much are they willing to sacrifice?"
"Exodus" is expected in 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox X|S.
