Say hello to all the Mass Effect-like Exodus companions so far

When it comes to creating compelling RPG companions, BioWare has long proven that they know what they're doing. So it is reasonable to expect companions of the same caliber from them Exodusnot because it's developed by BioWare, but because it's built by Archetype Entertainment – a team founded by former BioWare developers who worked on games like Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republicand Dragon Age: Origins. As a sci-fi RPG built by such a team, Exodus They seem eager to reignite the BioWare magic Mass Effect series and with that come supporting characters that are as worthwhile to spend time with as they are useful in battle.

ExodusThe release date is probably still a year or so away, so he hasn't revealed all of his companions yet, and the ones he has revealed are still shrouded in mystery. With the game confirmed to be at the Future Games Show on June 6th, that could change with the promised extended reveal of the game. Until then, though, the handful of companions he's already confirmed are worth getting to know, even if there isn't really that much to know.

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Meet Tom, Elise and CC Orlev from Exodus

Official Exodus the website shows a total of 11 companions for the RPG, with 5 of them being what it refers to as the game's “combat companions” and the remaining 6 being “story companions”. While a full roster of companion characters will likely join the player on their journey, the implication is that 5 combat companions will be ones players can take with them onto the field, while the remaining 6 characters are likely there solely for narrative purposes – although it's possible that players will still be able to interact with them in the same way they interact with combat companions.

Currently, 2 of Exodus5 combat companions have been revealed – Tom Vargas and Elise Charroux – while only one of the game's story companions, CC Orlev, has been confirmed. Additionally, each of these characters only has a brief bio on the game's website, but again, this may change after the June 6 Future Games Show summer showcase, when Archetype will offer fans a more extensive look at Exodus.

Tom Vargas and Elise Charroux are two of the fighting companions of the Exodus

First up is Tom Vargas, one of the Exodus” battle companions confirmed. According to the game's website, Tom is an ex-traveler haunted by the loss of his wife, who later rebuilds his life on Lydon as a skilled rescuer. He is smart, resourceful, connected, and someone who has learned to survive among the ruins of the past. Based on this description alone, Tom's strongest BioWare parallel is probably Carth Onasi Knights of the Old Republic. The biggest connection is the widow's point of view, as Carth's story is also rooted in the death of his wife and the subsequent traumas. Carth was a Republic soldier and pilot whose family was devastated by the Sith, giving him the same classic BioWare “good man bringing old grief to the party” foundation.

Then there's Elise Charroux, the second Exodus” confirmed the battle companions. Elise sounds like Exodus' answer Mass Effect 2It is Zaeed Massani more than anyone else. She's a no-nonsense, battle-tested mercenary whose loyalty seems to mean standing in front of the player, not behind him. There are clues Mass Effect 2's Jack in her criminal background, but based solely on her current description, Elise reads primarily as the kind of companion BioWare uses to build around scars, firepower, and a very practical definition of trust.

CC Orlev is one of the companions of the Exodus story

CC Orlev probably is Exodus a companion that most fans are familiar with as he was voiced by none other than Matthew McConaughey and featured prominently in the game's marketing materials. However, unlike Tom and Elise, CC is one of the Exodus' story companions, which again probably means it's there for narrative purposes rather than gameplay. Much of CC's story is shrouded in mystery, but based on what has already been revealed about him, he seems to be the closest Dragon Ageis Flemeth.

Flemeth is a legendary figure surrounded by rumor, fear, myth, and uncertainty, and BioWare often uses him as a character who appears at critical moments, making his true motives hard to uncover. CC Orlev's description makes him very similar to Flemeth in that everyone knows the myth, no one fully knows where he went or why, and he appears when Jun, the main character of the game, needs him the most. There is a touch Mass EffectIllusive Man is there too, simply because he fits this useful but suspect archetype.

Several other Exodus companions have been confirmed but remain a mystery

Except for Tom, Elise and CC, the clerk Exodus the website also shows 8 additional supporting characters, 4 of which have already been given names and 4 of which have not. However, unlike Tom, Elise, and CC, none of them have bios, so there is currently no information on who they are, where they came from, or what their ultimate destination might be.

Exodus Another confirmation companions

Salt the octopus
Phaedra
Suliman
Emrys
The four unnamed companions of the story

for now Exodus it still only gives players snippets of its companion list, but those snippets already say quite a bit if you can read them. Tom, Elise, and CC Orlev each feel like they're returning to a familiar BioWare kind of companion, from the grieving survivor to the hardened mercenary to the mysterious legend who seems to know more than he's letting on. That's not to say any of them are direct copies, but it's hard to ignore the comparison, especially when Exodus she's already wearing so much Mass Effect inspiration on the sleeve.

Now it's up to Archetype to turn these familiar outlines into characters that players really care about. BioWare's best supporting characters were never memorable because of how capable they were in combat, but because they brought valuable, often complex relationships along the way. If Exodus can do the same to Tom, Elise, CC and the rest of his as-yet-hidden roster, his companions could become one of the clearest signs that this spiritual successor has inherited more than Mass Effectsurface level vibrations.