Exile (1988 video game series)

Lore & Background

The Exile series began with XZR: Hakai no Gūzō, released in July 1988 for the NEC PC-8801, with subsequent ports to MSX2, NEC PC-9801, and X1 turbo. The game follows Sadler, a Syrian Assassin, on a journey to kill the Caliph, which ends with him time-traveling to assassinate the Soviet General Secretary and the American President. The sequel, XZR II: Kanketsuhen, was released later in 1988 and continues Sadler's adventures during the Christian Crusades, featuring encounters with Hindu and Buddhist deities, Masonic rituals, and the prophet Mani.

In 1991, a remake of XZR II titled Exile was released for the PC Engine and Mega Drive, with North American versions arriving in 1992. The localization by Working Designs for the TurboGrafx-CD version changed religious names to fictional ones, while the Genesis version removed scenes of nudity and a burning village. A sequel, Exile: Wicked Phenomenon, was released in 1992 for the Super CD-ROM2 and localized by Working Designs in 1993, featuring a photograph of a handcrafted final boss on its cover.

Reader's Guide

The Exile series is significant for its early blending of action and role-playing elements, with three distinct play modes: hideout menus, overhead RPG exploration, and side-scrolling action stages. Its notoriety stems from the original computer versions' inclusion of real religious figures, modern political leaders, and drug references, which were heavily altered or removed in console ports. The series' protagonist, Sadler, predates the Assassin's Creed franchise by over a decade, and the original XZR's plot has been compared to that later series. Working Designs' localization of Exile for the TurboGrafx-CD is notable for renaming the Christian Crusaders to 'Klispin Crusaders' at NEC's request, while the Genesis version cut controversial scenes entirely. The series ended with Exile: Wicked Phenomenon, which shifted focus from religious themes to defeating chaos. The cover art of that game, featuring a practical-effects diorama, was remembered by readers in a magazine survey as the 'most remembered' ad.

Did You Know?

• The original XZR ends with Sadler time-traveling to assassinate the Soviet General Secretary and the American President.
• The console remake Exile removed a time-travel segment from the final act to avoid referencing the original game's ending.
• Working Designs changed the Christian Crusaders to 'Klispin Crusaders' in the TurboGrafx-CD version due to NEC's concerns about religious references.
• The cover of Exile: Wicked Phenomenon used a photograph of a handcrafted diorama of the final boss, a rarity for North American game covers.