Exodus: A Fresh Take on Romance in BioWare-Style RPGs
Exodus, the sci-fi RPG from Archetype Entertainment, which boasts a team of former BioWare developers, is shaping up to be a spiritual successor to Mass Effect. While BioWare is busy crafting the next installment in their iconic series, Archetype is diving into its own sci-fi shooter space opera in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast. A standout feature that Exodus shares with Mass Effect is the inclusion of romance, because who doesn’t enjoy a little love amidst the vast, cold expanse of space? However, Exodus is breaking new ground by not restricting relationships based on the player’s gender.
In a recent interview, narrative director Drew Karpyshyn revealed that in Exodus, “the player drives the romances and they are not gender-locked.” This means that regardless of whether you choose to play as the male or female version of the protagonist, Jun Aslan, you’ll have the freedom to pursue any romantic interest. In contrast, Mass Effect only introduced same-sex relationships for male characters in Mass Effect 3, and even then, certain romances were limited to specific character pairings. For instance, Ashley Williams was only available to male Commander Shepards, while Kaidan Alenko became a bisexual option in the third game. Mass Effect: Andromeda continued this trend, with characters like engineer Gil Brodie being romanceable only by male Ryder, reflecting his identity as a gay man.
BioWare has fluctuated between gender-locking relationships and adopting a “playersexual” model, where protagonists can pursue any character. The latest title, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, embraced this inclusive approach, explicitly stating that all party members are pansexual, rather than adapting their identities to fit the player’s choices. In contrast, Mass Effect companions have always been crafted with distinct identities and preferences. Both methods have their pros and cons, but I’ve found myself leaning towards the “playersexual” model, as it ensures that queer players aren’t left out.
In Exodus, all romance options will be accessible to every player, and Karpyshyn hints at a layered romantic system that may even include polyamorous relationships. Players might find themselves in situations where they can pursue multiple characters, with the potential for complications arising from their choices. “There’s no situation where a character is going to romance you if you didn’t take the initiative,” he explained. “We want to put you in situations where you can potentially try to romance more than one character. Sometimes it’ll go well, sometimes it won’t depending on the character and the choices you make. Like real life, it’s complicated, right? We want it to be complicated.”
Your relationships will be influenced by the decisions you make throughout the game, and yes, there will be sex scenes, although director Chris King notes they will be more “reserved” compared to titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Cyberpunk 2077. Regardless, it’s been nearly a decade since I last had a new space romance in Mass Effect: Andromeda, so I’m eagerly looking forward to kissing space characters when Exodus launches on April 7.
