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

When it comes to creating compelling RPG companions, BioWare has proven long ago that it knows what it's doing. As such, it is reasonable to expect companions of the same caliber from Exodusnot because it's being developed by BioWare, but because it's being 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 seem eager to revive the magic in BioWare Mass effect series, and with it comes companions that are as worthy of spending time with as they are useful in battle.

Exodus' release date is still probably about a year away, so it hasn't yet revealed all of its companions, and the ones it has revealed are still shrouded in mystery. With the game confirmed to attend the Future Games Show on June 6, that could change with the promised extended gameplay showcase. But until then, the handful of companions it's already confirmed are worth getting to know, even if what there is to know isn't really that much.

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Meet Exodus Tom, Elise and CC Orlev

The official one Exodus the website lists 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 the full roster of companions will likely accompany the player on their journey, the implication is that the 5 battle buddies will be the ones players can actually take out onto the field with them, while the other 6 characters are likely there for narrative purposes only – although it's possible that players will still be able to interact with them the way they interact with them.

Currently 2 are off Exodus5 battle companions have been revealed – Tom Vargas and Elise Charroux – while only 1 of the game's story companions, CC Orlev, has been confirmed. Additionally, each of these characters only has a short bio on the game's website, but again, that could change after the Future Games Show summer showcase on June 6 when Archetype offers fans a more comprehensive look at Exodus.

Tom Vargas and Elise Charroux are two of Exodus' comrades in arms

First up is Tom Vargas, one of Exodus' confirmed comrades-in-arms. According to the game's website, Tom is a former traveler haunted by the loss of his wife, who later rebuilt his life on Lidon as a skilled salvager. He is sharp, resourceful, connected and someone who has learned to survive among the wreckage of the past. Based on that description alone, Tom's strongest BioWare parallel is probably Carth Onasi from Knights of the Old Republic. The biggest link is the widower angle, as Carth's background is also rooted in the death of his wife and the trauma that follows. Carth was a Republic soldier and pilot whose family was destroyed by the Sith, giving him the same classic BioWare “good man carrying old grief into the party” foundation.

Then there is Elise Charroux, the second of Exodus' confirmed comrades-in-arms. Elise sounds like Exodus' answer to Mass Effect 2s Zaeed Massani more than anyone else. She's a blunt, battle-tested mercenary whose loyalty seems to involve walking in front of the player instead of standing behind them. There are traces of Mass Effect 2Jack also has his criminal background, but just based on her current description, Elise reads first and foremost as the kind of companion that BioWare used to build around scars, firepower, and a very practical definition of trust.

CC Orlev is one of Exodus' story companions

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

Flemeth is a legendary figure surrounded by rumor, fear, myth, and uncertainty, and BioWare often uses her as the character who pops up at critical moments while keeping her true motives elusive. CC Orlev's description makes him very similar to Flemeth, in that everyone knows the myth, no one quite knows where he went or why, and he appears when Jun, the game's protagonist, needs him the most. There are a ton of Mass effect's Illusive Man in there too, simply because he fits that useful but suspicious archetype.

Several other Exodus companions have been confirmed, but remain a mystery

Except for Tom, Elise and CC, the clerk Exodus the site also lists 8 other companions, 4 of which have already been named and 4 that have not. Unlike Tom, Elise, and CC, however, none of them have bios, so there's currently no information on who they are, where they're from, or what their ultimate goal might be.

Exodus Other confirmed companions

Salt the squid
Phaedra
Suliman
Emrys
Four nameless story friends

For now, Exodus still only gives players fragments of their companion, but those fragments already say a lot if you know how to read them. Tom, Elise, and CC Orlev each feel like they're reaching back to a familiar kind of BioWare companion, from the grieving survivor to the hardened mercenary to the mysterious legend who seems to know more than he's letting on. That doesn't mean either of them are direct copies, but it makes the comparison hard to ignore, especially when Exodus already wearing so much of it Mass effect inspiration on the sleeve.

What matters now is whether Archetype can turn these familiar outlines into characters that players actually care about. BioWare's best companions were never memorable for how capable they were in battle, but because they brought valuable, often complex relationships with them along for the ride. If Exodus can do the same to Tom, Elise, CC and the rest of its still-hidden roster, its companions could end up being one of the clearest signs that this spiritual successor has inherited more than just Mass effects vibes on the surface level.