When the World Goes Beyond the Player

They couldn't look more different on the surface, but dig into the latest coverage and both appear to be chasing a similar idea: what happens when the game world stops feeling like it exists solely for the player? Exodus attacks that question through time. You can leave a world, travel across the galaxy and return to find years or even decades have passed. People have aged, societies have changed and decisions you made long ago may have grown into consequences you never expected. GTA VI approaches it from almost the opposite direction. Rockstar is filling Leonida with overlapping systems — people, wildlife, weather, conversations, social media, activities and environmental storytelling — attempting to create the feeling that something is always happening just beyond where you're looking. One asks: what happened while you were gone? The other asks: what's happening while you're not looking? Both could represent an exciting step forward for worlds that feel less like elaborate playgrounds waiting for us to press Start, and more like places we're temporarily stepping into. We've taken a deeper look at both in two new KOMA Panels, covering their stories, player abilities, environments and some of the more fascinating details emerging from the latest coverage. Check out the Panels, tell us what caught your attention, and add your own take to the conversation. If you've spotted something we've missed — or think we're getting carried away by the possibilities — contribute to the Panel. That's what the Open Panel is for.