Any time you look at or talk about Exodus, the upcoming space opera RPG from Archetype Entertainment, the Mass Effect comparisons start flying at light speed. I mean, Exodus narrative director Drew Karpyshyn played a major role as a writer and lead at BioWare to shape the stories of its biggest hits. In our conversation following my hands-on preview of Exodus, he told me that Mass Effect is a perfectly fine way for people to wrap their head around what this new game is.
The parallels don’t end with the Paladin/Immortal morality system or the romance and relationship dynamics that are going to drive the story, either. He hinted at how the decisions you make can impact Exodus’ ending. Of course, that’s not exclusive to BioWare games by any stretch, but when the Mass Effect 2’s suicide mission is regarded as a series pinnacle, no one would blame to draw a quick comparison.
When I asked about the relationship systems in Exodus, Karpyshyn emphasized wanting to make them feel real and said it’s about, “[M]aking their relationship with you grow, allowing it to evolve from the choices you’ve made, and realizing that the choices you make are going to bring some companions closer to you, but maybe push some companions farther away.”
He took it one step further, and told me, “Without spoiling too much, we definitely want to have it impact how their storylines go.” Then he took it another step further and concluded, “Depending on choices you make, by the end of the game, you might not have every companion with you that you started with. That’s about all I can say!”
Those are aspects of an RPG in this style that I would’ve bet on being included, but it’s nice to get confirmation that Exodus is following suit. However, from our conversation it may not seem like it’s entirely due to characters facing life-or-death situations. He talked at length about companions butting heads with you and being conflicted about what you say and the actions you take in key moments.
He expanded on how other in-game events can factor into how the story unfolds, saying, “Even within that optional content, there are choices that will lock or unlock certain things, change the way things play out, change relationships, change characters, change… future… missions…” Hmm, smells like loyalty missions to me!
Perhaps companions can reach a breaking point and leave the party entirely. And maybe their affinity toward you or the situations they face throughout the story will impact their survival in the end.
We’ll know for sure when Exodus launches on April 7, 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For more on the upcoming sci-fi RPG, be sure to check out my hands-on preview for Exodus and read my full interview with Drew Karpyshyn.
Michael Higham is an editor at IGN who regularly contributes with reviews, previews, features, and news in written and video form. He’s usually entrusted with covering long RPGs and tech products, but he’s got range when it comes to games. You’ll also catch him at events and hosting video content, including IGN’s weekly podcast Unlocked.