EXOTIC MATTER Preview on Steam

A blend of metroidvania adventure and open-world survival, Exotic Matter was released to Steam’s early access on July 6^th.  Developed and published by Moebiusgames, Exotic Matter is admittedly inspired by Minecraft and System Shock and, not surprisingly, features gameplay and aesthetics that are not far off from either of these two games. More than just a hackneyed regurgitation of voxel building games, however, Exotic Matter also brings to the table a refreshingly exciting narrative and the promise of epic sandbox adventure.

Gameplay

Stranded on the alien planet Xcylin as the only human survivor of a team sent to harvest alien materials that can save Earth, you must survive and fight your way through missions while collecting alien artifacts, solving puzzles, and building your own bases.  Open world survival games have taken off over the past couple of years and Exotic Matter builds upon this explosion with a game that adds an additional component of procedural adventure to the standard sandbox format.

With over 18 unique missions, bass upgrades, and an endless list of community built planets to explore, Exotic Matter’s playability is truly inexhaustible.  In addition to its position as a unique and enjoyable survival game, Exotic Matter also serves as a game engine for creating games and worlds in its likeness.  With almost nothing in the game hardcoded, anything you see is moddable: giving users free reign to create whatever they please.

This also adds to the procedural gameplay in a way that makes missions even more individualized. No two players will ever play the game the same way and players can repeat missions and have completely unique experiences every single time. Whether you mine your way through doors, force your way through with explosives, or find the key, there are no rules to how you maneuver your way through the game, making for a truly liberating experience, even for an open world game. 

Overview

Again, what makes this game standout next to its competitors is its fusion of the freedom that comes with an open world adventure game with the challenge and strategy that is born from procedural adventure games.  Most voxel games merely present a world that can be explored and altered, but Exotic Matter demands engagement with its storytelling and interactive narratives.

If you enjoy the free form exploration that comes with sandbox adventure games but find yourself wishing for something a little more tangible to cling on to with the genre, Exotic Matter may offer exactly what you are looking for and can be downloaded in the steam store for $19.99.

Check Out the Exotic Matter Steam Early Access Launch Trailer:

Exotic Matter is available for Windows PC and Linux on Steam Early Access.