Exodus' Traveler's Handbook gave me Mass Effect vibes and I'm here for it

Exodus, the upcoming RPG from Magic The Gathering's Wizards of the Coast's gaming team, Archetype, may have drawn the attention of many with its reveal by Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey, but since then we've seen plenty more.

The ambitious title, which looks like a cross between Mass Effect and Returnal, is being led by some ex-Bioware and Bungie staff, so we're expecting big things (no pressure).

Sadly, while we've seen it in action, it's not yet got a release date, but there's something to help carry fans through — a tabletop RPG book for the game dubbed the 'Traveler's Handbook'. We got to take a look, and it offers perhaps our best glimpse yet at the scope of Exodus' new sci-fi universe.

If you're at all interested in the background of Exodus, then the Traveler's Handbook is well worth looking at.

It's a TTRPG book, meaning you can use it for your own sci-fi campaign, but having limited experience with the format I took to flicking through in the evenings after work.

What I found was the kind of lore base some franchises would dream of establishing early on, and while there's a whole bunch of proper nouns and the like, and the Mass Effect vibes are undeniable, I'm more excited than ever to see what Archetype Entertainment is cooking up.

We know the game will feature a big focus on time dilation, and while you won't get spoilers from me, the official description explains how "choices you make create consequences changing the fate of those you love most – and reshaping the future of your entire civilization for generations."

Sadly, it's not something that's easy to get your hands on. Exodus' Traveler's Handbook could only be earned through a sort of "early access" program, but there are other ways to get caught up on the lore. For one, there's a nifty timeline you can find here.

Given we're likely months away from a release date, though, you've got plenty of time to get acclimatised to Exodus' universe as more trailers emerge. And if you are trying to keep yourself occupied but spoiler-free, there's never a bad time to watch Matthew McConaughey himself in Interstellar.