emfromthesea
I suspect in the years to come Mankind Divided will serve as a time capsule for 2010s-era pop culture in much the same way the original Deus Ex was to the turn of the millenium. A beautiful mess of a game.
2019
What is maybe most surprising about Exodus is how much I warmed to its characters. I like this series well enough for being a densely atmospheric horror/shooter, channeling a mix of Far Cry 2 and STALKER, though the writing has always felt off. It’s gesturing at Big Ideas is undercut by the shallow characters, the annoyingly centrist depictions of warring factions, and your typical video game-y misogyny to top it off.
Some of that is still definitely present in Exodus (in its pastiche of post-apocalyptic tropes & villains) but by bringing the focus onto a smaller cast of characters, I found myself genuinely caring for the story it was telling. There's a lot of heart in this found family of survivors in search of a home. For that reason, the train sequences when you’re interacting with those characters were some of my favourite, though the whole silent protagonist thing didn’t work for me in those moments. I wish they’d either give Arytom some lines (he has plenty to say during his monologuing between chapters) or commit to him being mute; the latter is what I ended up using as my head canon. Even still, I can recall plenty of scenes on the train that felt more genuine than a lot of the writing I’m used to in bigger games. Having a smoke with the new guy we picked up as he regales me with stories of his old car, overhearing the little girl guilt the group technician into teaching her how to sow, watching the cold demeanor of the commander father-in-law thaw as the crew gathers around to listen to a newly wed sing & play the guitar. All of these interactions are effectively optional but Exodus does a superb job of rewarding you if you take the time to be a part of this family.
Some of that is still definitely present in Exodus (in its pastiche of post-apocalyptic tropes & villains) but by bringing the focus onto a smaller cast of characters, I found myself genuinely caring for the story it was telling. There's a lot of heart in this found family of survivors in search of a home. For that reason, the train sequences when you’re interacting with those characters were some of my favourite, though the whole silent protagonist thing didn’t work for me in those moments. I wish they’d either give Arytom some lines (he has plenty to say during his monologuing between chapters) or commit to him being mute; the latter is what I ended up using as my head canon. Even still, I can recall plenty of scenes on the train that felt more genuine than a lot of the writing I’m used to in bigger games. Having a smoke with the new guy we picked up as he regales me with stories of his old car, overhearing the little girl guilt the group technician into teaching her how to sow, watching the cold demeanor of the commander father-in-law thaw as the crew gathers around to listen to a newly wed sing & play the guitar. All of these interactions are effectively optional but Exodus does a superb job of rewarding you if you take the time to be a part of this family.