Exodus: The “New Mass Effect”. Breaking Down the Extensive Gameplay Trailer

Summer is traditionally the season of gaming showcases, when developers and publishers present new trailers and announce upcoming hits. However, it is also the time when the public learns more about projects that have already been revealed. Recently, Archetype Entertainment showcased 20 minutes of gameplay from the highly anticipated successor to Mass Effect, Exodus. We can finally evaluate the combat system and gain a better understanding of what to expect from this upcoming space opera. We carefully examined the new footage and are ready to share our impressions and thoughts.

Archetype Entertainment attracted the gaming community’s attention from the very beginning. The studio was founded under the supervision of Wizards of the Coast, but instead of working on Dungeons & Dragons or Magic: The Gathering, it was tasked with developing an entirely new intellectual property. To achieve this, the company recruited veterans from BioWare. Not the ones with pink hair and broad social agendas who buried the Dragon Age series with the toothless mockery of an RPG known as Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but rather developers from the old school. For a thorough breakdown of how things went so wrong for the studio, we recommend reading our material: 'Anthem with Dragons': BioWare Devs Reveal What Went Wrong with Dragon Age: The Veilguard — Jason Schreier Investigation.

Archetype Entertainment was headed by James Ohlen, a former D&D dungeon master who worked extensively on the mechanics of Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Dragon Age: Origins. Another industry veteran, Drew Karpyshyn, was brought in as lead writer. It is worth remembering that the original concept for Mass Effect was significantly different from the trilogy we ultimately received. In the initial vision, the concept of the “mass effect” itself was meant to serve as the central connecting element of the series, and Karpyshyn intended to explore it in much greater depth. He carefully developed the lore, both before the events of the first game and beyond them. The first two games were laying the groundwork to portray the Reapers as morally ambiguous and even beneficial entities, which would have fundamentally changed the way players perceived Commander Shepard’s actions.

However, due to a number of circumstances that we will not dwell on here, the writer left the studio before the project was completed. The result was the infamous ending with its color-coded choices, which left fans not merely disappointed but deeply frustrated. The Reapers became little more than generic space squids, while the very idea behind the trilogy's title remained unexplored. Frankly, it is hard to call all of this a surprise given BioWare's track record — a studio that had been stumbling for years, as we documented in TOP 5 failures of the once great Studio BioWare.

All of this is important to understand because Exodus is more than just an attempt to create “Mass Effect at home.” It is a comprehensive universe where the ideas of the people who once laid the foundation for one of BioWare’s greatest successes can finally evolve without restrictions. Interestingly, that original Mass Effect universe may yet get its own second life — Amazon is working on a TV adaptation, though as we covered, Amazon wants the Mass Effect series rewritten for "non-gamers", which raises its own concerns.

However, the main gimmick of Exodus appears, at first glance, to have little in common with Commander Shepard and the Reapers. In this universe, interstellar travel is also made possible through special technology, but everything comes at a price. While only hours pass for astronauts, years go by for those living on planets. As a result, traveling freely across the galaxy, as characters do in Star Wars, is certainly possible, but it comes with obvious consequences. By the time travelers return, everyone they once knew may have died of old age. At first, it seems as though such conditions would make space exploration pointless, but that is not the case. The homeworld of the protagonist, whether male or female depending on the player’s choice, is dying from a mysterious disease. This drives them to join the Travelers, a group dedicated to searching for ancient artifacts left behind by the Celestials.

The world appears to be dying rather slowly if the team can afford to spend decades on research expeditions, though the full details will only become clear upon release. The trailer even includes scenes showing a statue of the protagonist appearing in a settlement, suggesting that we will witness some of the long-term consequences firsthand. Furthermore, these conditions make the crew members each other’s only true family. They experience life at the same pace, strengthening the bonds between these very different travelers and encouraging players to become more invested in their personal conflicts.

Another notable aspect is that Exodus does not really feature traditional aliens. There are only humans and awakened animals that have gained intelligence and speech through technological enhancement. The trailer includes conversations with a wolf, an elephant, and an octopus wearing an exoskeleton. That said, there will still be enemies that fall outside the boundaries of human physiology. During the gameplay demonstration, the team fights something that resembles a classic alien creature complete with tentacles and teeth. Later, other enemies known as Ghosts appear. These beings resemble intelligent machines devoid of faces and unnecessary emotion.

Information already available online suggests that the Celestials themselves originated from humanity but evolved into something different through centuries of experimentation, mutation, and genetic enhancement. It seems likely that the Celestials will include both allies and antagonists. This concept feels more grounded and even somewhat scientific compared to the traditional “evil alien race” trope. The diversity of “species” stems from adaptation to different planetary environments and atmospheres. Yet beneath it all remains a fundamentally human nature, which explains their humanoid appearance.

As is often the case, the protagonist turns out to be a special Traveler. For some reason, Celestial technology recognizes their genetic code as its own, allowing them to operate these ancient devices. The mystery of the protagonist’s origins will likely become one of the central storylines during the first half of the game.

A few words should also be said about the RPG systems. The showcased segment already demonstrated several choices the protagonist will have to make, as well as the general style of conversations. Unfortunately, we did not notice much variety in the dialogue options. In fact, there are usually only two approaches: a more aggressive one and a less aggressive one. The developers themselves have stated that players will be able to define their character’s personality from the very beginning. The morality system strongly resembles that of Mass Effect, meaning the protagonist will either become a calm and noble “paladin” or a hot-headed and aggressive “immortal.”

Major decisions also appear to be divided into two clear categories. While they are not explicitly tied to morality, the intended alignment is easy to infer. One moment in the trailer requires players to decide whether to eliminate all enemies immediately by opening an airlock into space, thereby killing several innocent civilians in the process, or to fight openly and honestly while preserving innocent lives. It is a fairly standard RPG choice, one that players have encountered countless times in both science-fiction and fantasy settings.

The second example was more intriguing. During a confrontation between two characters, the protagonist can either lower their weapon or shoot first at a critical moment. It seems obvious which option is supposed to be the “good” one, but whether it actually leads to the desired outcome remains an open question.

Unfortunately, the role-playing aspect is not particularly impressive so far. Two or three dialogue options seem to be the most Exodus can offer. Major choices are also fairly easy to read. There is still some hope that the developers will go the extra mile and allow aggressive decisions to occasionally prove more effective than endless kindness and universal peace. Otherwise, players may find that the game does not stray far from Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with the only difference being that they will have to consistently select either all the good responses or all the bad ones in order to reach the corresponding endings. We sincerely hope Archetype Entertainment understands how disappointing that would be.

The crew of the Traveler ship also inspires only cautious optimism at this stage. Alongside the standard hard-drinking male soldier who seems tailor-made for a warm brotherly friendship, there is a woman in an exosuit, a scientist, and the previously mentioned octopus. The problem is that the armor designs of the warrior and the mollusk look almost identical, reducing visual diversity. It does not appear that Exodus will feature a colorful Normandy-style cast, although it is obvious that not every companion has been revealed yet.

The majority of the gameplay showcase focused on combat. Visually, it strongly resembles Mass Effect. The radial weapon and ability wheel, along with additional skill slots for squad members, all feel very familiar. However, the pace of combat has increased dramatically. Players will no longer be able to sit comfortably behind cover and exchange fire from a safe distance. The game actively encourages the use of the entire arsenal, which appears far more diverse than that of Shepard’s original trilogy.

For example, the protagonist can turn invisible in order to quickly close the distance and strike enemies in melee combat. They also possess a variety of grenades, including homing variants, as well as a grappling hook that can be used to latch onto designated points and cross gaps.

Cover is quickly destroyed, while enemies constantly attempt to push forward. Thanks to Celestial technology, the Traveler can create walls and platforms at specific locations, which are equally useful during exploration and combat. The final major feature involves upgrading both weapons and the mysterious Celestial gauntlet. Throughout the trailer, the protagonist learns how to fire an energy spear capable of destroying infection nodes linked to the very disease threatening their homeworld. Naturally, this ability is also useful during combat encounters. It seems obvious that there will be multiple unique powers of this kind, each significantly changing the flow of battle.

Equipment upgrades take place in a strange shop run by a man with a covered face and a guitar. Incidentally, he is voiced by Matthew McConaughey. Many media outlets have already reported that the famous actor has received one of the game's leading roles. In reality, however, his role appears to be almost insignificant. We sincerely hope Archetype Entertainment knows exactly what it is doing. The upgrade mechanics themselves were shown only briefly, leaving very little to discuss.

Overall, the trailer left a positive impression thanks to its strong presentation, impressive visuals, and dynamic combat system. Exodus is definitely a game worth anticipating, though unfortunately only with cautious optimism. The RPG systems currently appear somewhat underdeveloped. Dialogue options are limited, and the clearly defined morality system may encourage many players to focus exclusively on either the “good” or the “bad” responses. The crew members do not seem especially compelling so far, largely because they fit familiar archetypes. At the same time, the central idea of space travel at the cost of time is genuinely fascinating. Something tells us that players will not be allowed to freely hop between planets during open exploration, as doing so would undermine the entire concept. Even if travel remains tightly controlled by the story, however, it is still an idea we are eager to experience. We have high hopes for the project and sincerely wish it lives up to expectations. Until then, we will continue following the news closely. We also recommend checking out our article, where we've compiled the top game announcements for June 2026: State of Play, Summer Game Fest, Xbox Showcase.