The truth is that the heroism of your
childhood entertainments was not true
valor.

It was theatre. The grand gesture, the
moment of choice, the mortal danger,
the external foe, the climactic battle
whose outcome resolves all -
all designed to appear heroic, to
excite and gratify an audience.

Gentlemen, welcome to the world of
reality - there is no audience.

No one to applaud, to admire. No one
to see you. Do you understand? Here is
the truth - actual heroism receives no
ovation, entertains no one.

    - David Foster Wallace

This quote is the initial inspiration that led me to make the game that became Exile's End.

It is the story of Michael Jameson, a world-weary veteran looking for release from a past that haunts him. Does he have blood on his hands, or is he an innocent scapegoat for events beyond his control? I leave that for you to decide, just as it is up to you to decide his ultimate actions.

There is no ovation waiting for Jameson at the end of his journey. Succeed or fail, act or do not act, what does it truly mean to be a hero? What story will YOU tell?

Exile's End is my tribute to the games I enjoyed while growing up. The sense of wonder and mystery of what might come next that was present in those old 8 and 16-bit computer games has stayed with me all this time, and I hope I've managed to convey some of that in this story of a reluctant hero facing an incomprehensible threat.

I'm deeply grateful to the incredibly talented veterans of the Japanese game industry with whom I had the pleasure of collaborating, and to the fantastic team at XSEED Games who have helped me to bring this definitive version of Exile's End to a console near you. I can't wait for you to play it!

-Matt Fielding, Magnetic Realms