Exodus Ending and Companion Fates Shaped by Player Choices

Whenever Exodus, the upcoming space opera RPG from Archetype Entertainment, is mentioned, comparisons to Mass Effect inevitably arise at warp speed. This is hardly surprising, given that Exodus narrative director Drew Karpyshyn was a key writer and lead at BioWare, shaping the narratives of its most iconic titles. In a conversation following my hands-on preview of Exodus, he acknowledged that Mass Effect serves as a useful reference point for understanding what this new game aims to achieve.

The similarities extend beyond the Paladin/Immortal morality system and the romance and relationship dynamics that will drive the story. Karpyshyn hinted that your decisions will significantly influence Exodus's ending. While this is not exclusive to BioWare games, given that Mass Effect 2's suicide mission is often hailed as a pinnacle of the series, drawing such comparisons is only natural.

When I inquired about the relationship systems in Exodus, Karpyshyn stressed the desire to make them feel authentic. He explained, "Making 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 went further, saying, "Without spoiling too much, we definitely want to have it impact how their storylines go." Then he added, "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!"

While these features might seem expected for an RPG of this style, it's reassuring to have confirmation that Exodus is following suit. However, our conversation suggested that this isn't solely due to life-or-death situations. Karpyshyn elaborated on companions clashing with you and feeling conflicted about your words and actions during key moments.

He also discussed how other in-game events can affect the story, stating, "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…" This sounds reminiscent of loyalty missions!

It's possible that companions could reach a breaking point and leave the party entirely, and their affinity toward you or the situations they face might impact their survival in the end.

We'll find out 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 of Exodus and read my full interview with Drew Karpyshyn.