There’s a lot of expectation built up for Exodus, the big new sci-fi RPG coming from some of the key creative minds behind Mass Effect and KOTOR before it. At the Future Game Show, the team at Archetype Entertainment shared a long look at the gameplay, revealing a lot of new details about the game ahead of its planned release in early 2027.
Characters
The game casts players as Jun Aslan, an orphan from a once powerful family who is surviving as a salvager at the start of the game, but who ends up being humanity’s last hope to fight back the Celestials thanks to a genetic gift that lets him interact with ancient technology. To save your homeworld, you’ll have to steal Celestial tech, bring it back to your world, and give yourself a chance to survive.
At the start of the game, you get to pick Jun’s gender as male or female, and with “several options” for visual customisation. You’ll also choose an initial alignment, either as a Virtuous Paladin or Viscious Immortal.
Alongside Jun is his giant talking space wolf, Houston – immediately my favourite – but he soon builds up a broader crew of allies, including mech pilot Elise, and experienced Traveller Tom, who teaches Jun some about the job as one of those. Salt is then an Awakened octopus in a tentacular mech suit – immediately my second new favourite character – and there are other Awakened animals who you can converse with. Later in the video we meet Feydra Nath, a genius technician who suffers from blindness, but has developed new sight using drones.
Periodically, you’ll run into C.C. Orlev, voiced by Matthew McConaughey, who can give you aid in the form of upgrades and other helpers.
Combat
Combat definitely has a lot of the third person with a team style combat of Mass Effect, with Jun taking cover and blasting with guns, calling in attacks from allies, and making use of special abilities like a Scramble cloaking device that allows for closing distance quickly, an energy spear and more.
While an RPG with big ol’ health bars, it has a good bit of punch to it. You can spot and mark enemies while scoping out a mercenary camp with a turret in the middle. Careful not to raise the alarm, Jun’s upgraded Cycler gun for single-hit headshots. The turret was then weakened with a thruster grenade and taken out with further fire.
It’s agile third person combat, making use of grapple points to swing across gaps, using explosive barrels to deal elemental damage and more.
In addition to mercenaries, one of the main enemies you’ll face are the robotic Ghosts.
Celestial Tech
With his ability to tap into Celestial technology, Jun is able to manipulate ancient devices and machinery in various ways. This can play into key decision points, such as when (having already disabled turret defences) being given the choice to open an airlock or not, potentially killing dock workers.
On the planet Sang, you’re able to manipulate the shapeable livestone to cross sulphur lakes and other ancient Celestial formations. This ability to shape the world can also be used in combat, shooting out a rapid growth from the ground.
A lot of this is dependent on Jun’s gauntlet, which was passed down to him and can be upgraded with technology found on the journey, unlocking new abilities, such as the aforementioned Lance, which can pierce and destroy the Bramble, which is a byproduct of the Rot.
The Story
Jun’s homeworld of Lyden is at risk of being consumed by the Rot, a Celestial virus that is able to rewrite and use Celestial tech in its own way. Between missions you’ll return to this world and the main hub city of Persepolis to pick up new missions, meet new people and advance the story. One factor here is that, with Exodus leaning on the theoretical science surrounding galactic space travel, you’re subject to time dilation, so years can pass while you and your team experience days. Your choices can shape this city over time.
You have to travel across the Centauri cluster to find a possible cure for the Rot. You’ll be following in the footsteps of other Travellers that went before you, such as Feydra’s grandfather, Elijah, who disappeared decades ago. Following this plotline eventually leads to a difficult choice that can lead to a key death in your party.
Exodus’ showing looked excellent, and while the morality system is as classically polar as it gets, the story intrigue, the moment-to-moment decisions, the combat and Celestial abilities all look brilliant. We look forward to seeing more as the team close in on their Early 2027 release window.
