Paradark Studio, an independent game studio based in Krakow, Poland, recently showcased footage for a game titled ExeKiller. At first glance, I was instantly enamored with the entire world's atmosphere and design – the main focus so far, it seems. Upon second viewing, a pit formed in my stomach because this is either the best game since Red Dead 2 or Cyberpunk 2077 (Phantom Liberty era), or it's another one The day before or MindsEye situation.
To be honest, it's more instinct than anything else that tells me this. EA is new Skate The game loves to tell you to use your Skater Eyes, and while it's a bit snarky, I think there's some truth to such an insight. “Gamer Eyes” will always flag when something is generative AI, when something about a game's trailer or presentation isn't genuine, or when something is too good to be true or too nonsense, as was the case with “games” that The day before and MindsEye. There can be a lot of hope around these titles, perhaps speaking to the good nature of friendly people, but just as much suspicion. I don't know, let's look into it – and you tell me if my suspicions seem unfounded or not.
My first thought when I watched ExeKiller is that it looks damn good, like “how has this game not been on my radar” good, like “you might as well stamp 'Joshua Duckworth' on this game because it looks like something custom to me. But after that thought was, wait, how could that be?” ExeKiller is Paradark Studios' first game, which means it's relatively untested. That's not necessarily a red flag, but it's a beige flag, even though I've heard Unreal Engine 5 praised to kingdom come and back (with the exception of optimization).
What is ExeKiller: A Game That Vibes With Red Dead, Cyberpunk and Fallout
ExeKiller is set in New York in 1988, except it was destroyed by the “Great Fire Disaster”, which set most of the world on fire 20 years earlier. This caused the mass extinction of life on Earth. It's a bit corny and hard to imagine, and the setting doesn't necessarily look like a game set in New York. It's more like a play on New York iconography. It looks more like what I would imagine the greater New York wasteland to look like in one Fall-out game. Only 30% of humanity apparently survived the Great Fire Catastrophe, and Earth had only a few areas left safe for life. In the wake of the great fire disaster, governments fail and corporations take control. There you go: Cyberpunk 2077.
Located in a wasteland with Fall-out vibes, towards technology like SOUL biochips and companies like Cyberpunk 2077s dystopia, it is also clearly western-inspired. Really, it's almost like the Great War happened in Night City, and Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in the resulting wasteland. That's your elevator pitch for Executor.
ExeKiller Protagonist and Features Without SOUL you simply do not exist.
You take on the title character in Executornamed Denzel Fenix, a futuristic bounty hunter. Your main objective is to hunt for bounty and collect the SOUL biochip components, which retain information from their owners and can also control them. Of course, these biochips are produced by one of the strongest companies left on “New Earth”, which remains nameless. It may be the same company the player works for, Helion, which is located in a building that towers over the ruins of New York. Fenix apparently discovers something throughout the game that puts him in the crosshairs of several powerful factions, so he's apparently both hunter and hunted.
In terms of game features:
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PLAYER-DRIVEN STORY – Choices affect not only how the story unfolds, but also every situation you encounter, offering massive replayability. I'm not Gen Z, but can I say it delivers MindsEye?
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CHOICE IS A PRINCIPLE – Players are never limited to one path or solution for each encounter. This emphasis on choice promises to make each playthrough unique and alter the outcome of NPCs, dialogue options, and possible endings.
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A HUGE OPEN WORLD – The world is described as both beautiful and deadly, complete with diverse regions ranging from deserts and canyons to deadly highways to radioactive fields. I'm not Gen Z, but can I say it delivers Fall-out? Also, it's worth noting that the official website calls it a large open world, but the Steam page calls it a semi-open world environment. As of this writing, it is unclear which is correct.
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HUNT OUTLAWS – Players can decide to kill them, put them on trial, or set them free. While doing so, players can take advantage of stealth options, different types of weapons and gadgets, different gameplay abilities, stealth situations, or talk your way out of problematic situations.
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CONSTANT CHANGE OF ENVIRONMENT: ExeKillers landscape shifts between a day/night cycle, dynamic weather and radioactive solar storms.
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UNIQUE SETTINGS AND VISUAL: Executor describes its art style as “combining retro-futuristic technological advancements with post-apocalyptic landscapes – all served up with a western movie vibe.” It's there Fallout, and Red Dead hodgepodge comes from, that is. It promises that its visuals are designed to transport players to the 1970s… even though it took place in a ruined 1998.
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UNIQUE CHARACTER PROGRESS – Executor described as an action-adventure game, not an RPG, likely because there is no XP or level up. Instead, the player's progression is tied to the choice of mods, power-ups, and technology implemented in weapons.
I'm hopeful, but suspicious of ExeKiller
It all sounds like a promising feature list, especially compared to the gameplay videos and screenshots of it. But something feels wrong. Beyond just the conflicting information, which could probably be explained (1970s vs 1998, large open world vs semi-open world, the frivolous nature of the worldwide “Great Fire Disaster”), it just seems too good, too tailored. Beyond just the vibes, the world and story it promises gives me serious hope that it's a game that lives up to the caliber of its inspirations as Red Dead, Falloutand Cyberpunk. On the other hand, MindsEye had a good chat and The day before knew how to get players' attention, and I can't shake the feeling of it ExeKiller are more of their caliber than others. It could end up somewhere in the middle too, I guess, but something just feels off.
To get creeped out, use your gamer eyes – are my suspicions unfounded? Anyway, ExeKiller is on my radar now. I just hope it's because the game lives up to the quality it promises and not the playbook used by non-gamers who MindsEye and The day before. I would absolutely love to be proven wrong here.
