I think of myself as an early adopter of Exodus, one of the first passengers aboard this particular RPG hype train. The risk of buying that kind of ticket, of course, is that you end up at your destination disappointed, let down by a game that hasn't lived up to your expectations. With Exodus, however, I've got no fear of that. My 60-minute, combat-focused demo showed off the Mass Effect successor I've been hoping this would be, and hints that the BioWare Magic might still be out there – it's just Archetype Magic now.
My demo is made up of a single mission, far enough into the game that protagonist Jun has come to terms with the powers offered by his mysterious Celestial connection. He's found a ship and assembled a crew to fill it. I'm assigned two companions before I start; Suleimon favors the quiet approach, and can teleport in close to stab unaware enemies in the back. The second couldn't be more different – Elise pilots a towering mech, and her abilities hinge around a variety of ways to fire off as many rockets as possible. I quickly warm to her explosive charm, and while Suleiman's smug, smarmy demeanor seems purposely designed as a frustrating foil to Jun, the fact I enjoy his company regardless is testament to his writers.
Developer: Archetype EntertainmentPublisher: Wizards of the CoastPlatform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series XRelease date: April 27, 2027
Jun will be the keystone around which every mission roster will be built. His personal armory of weapons offers decent variation even before you factor in gadgets and the powers bestowed by his gauntlet – a piece of ancient, alien technology that grants various abilities that can manipulate the environment and offer new combat options. In battle, I can cloak myself before repositioning to line up a powerful sniper shot, or lock a larger enemy in place before rushing in for a melee attack and following up with a volley of chattering shotgun fire.
Meanwhile, Suleiman and Elise contribute their own firepower, letting me know when their abilities have recharged to let them dish out even more punishment. Controlling their timing and targets is simple but satisfying, a huge chunk of HP disappearing from enemy health bars whenever either one steps up.
Anyone familiar with Mass Effect should have no trouble picturing that system. It's Commander Shepherd reimagined, enhanced by virtue of Jun's massive arsenal of tools and gadgets. Most smaller-scale skirmishes are too small to rely on all of those toys, but gunplay has a satisfying spit, and ammo management offers an extra layer of strategy. I lean heavily on the sniper rifle, but its limited magazine means I have to be careful about when I make use of it.
I'm also pleased to see that Elise and Suleiman will let me stay quiet at the start of an encounter, only turning their own weapons towards the enemy once the firefight has properly broken out. My only complaint is that in bigger boss fights, my companions feel largely ignored – in one battle, I'm relentlessly chased down by an enemy that often runs through the middle of my allies' hail of gunfire, a series of slightly clunky dodge-rolls my only way to avoid an attacker apparently unconcerned for their own wellbeing.
The caveat to the success of Exodus' combat is that an hour-long slice of a game that's supposed to take place over the span of centuries can't possibly begin to show off the weight of its choices. Its aping of Mass Effect-style combat is definitely successful, but I imagine we won't get a sense of how well it emulates that series' decision-making until launch.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/exodus-steps-out-of-mass-effects-shadow-with-combat-that-builds-on-biowares-rpg-and-a-galaxy-that-im-itching-to-explore/
