Archetype Entertainment has unveiled a new look for the protagonist of Exodus, its upcoming sci-fi RPG. We at PCG didn't love Jun Aslan's original face, but it sounds like there was more widespread discontent over his supposedly homely mug.
After a brief intro by studio GM Chad Robertson, we got a brief cinematic trailer of the new Jun—with a little cameo by Matthew McConaughey, in case you forgot he's lending his voice to this game. And, I mean, yeah: Jun's a real prettyboy now. My man's looking like an industry plant. Cheekbones that could cut glass.
Previously, Jun was, perhaps, a little schlubbier, but only really by the standards of showbiz. I contend that he realistically could have been someone's workplace crush. He was an LA 6.5, but a Chicago 9. Prettier than most people you know, I'd wager. I didn't love Jun's original look, but I figured, hey, it's an RPG. I'll just mess with the sliders.
But it sounds like we're restricted to one face per sex in Exodus, based on the new trailer's description: "You can play Jun Aslan as male or female, and options like hairstyles, hair color, facial hair, and tattoos let you add your own personal touch." That sounds reminiscent of the facial presets from Baldur's Gate 3, but with only two characters instead of that game's two dozen or so.
I like making a cutie pie RPG character as much as the next guy, but now that he's gone, I find something endearing about the way Jun looked before he got his work done. You were beautiful just the way you were, honey. On a more meta level, I wish studios would double down when there's a backlash over minor aesthetic stuff: I don't even have a horse in the s&box race, but I prefer that game's original, controversial, sausage character model to the new realistic ones.
At the same time, as a clear attempt at a Mass Effect successor, Exodus has to live up to the generational good looks of Dutch Model Mark Vanderloo—BioWare based the default male Commander Shepard face on him. Even with a full character creation suite, it's hard to justify a custom Shep who always winds up looking like a potato man when the real Handsome Squidward is right there for the taking.
What do you think? Should Jun have kept his original face, or does his new look suit him? Sound off in the comments (and we've got a poll after the newsletter block).
