Say Hello to All of Exodus' Mass Effect-Like Companions So Far

When it comes to creating compelling RPG companions, BioWare proved long ago that it knows what it's doing. As such, it's reasonable to expect companions of the same caliber from Exodus, not because it's being developed by BioWare, but because it's being built by Archetype Entertainment—a team founded by former BioWare devs who worked on games like Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, and Dragon Age: Origins. As a sci-fi RPG built by such a team, Exodus seems eager to reignite the magic of BioWare's Mass Effect series, and with that comes companion characters who are as worth spending time with as they are useful in combat.

Exodus' release date is likely still roughly a year away, so it hasn't yet revealed all of its companions, and those it has disclosed 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 reveal. However, until then, the handful of companions it has already confirmed are worth getting to know, even if what's there to know isn't really all that much.

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By Josh Cotts

Meet Exodus' Tom, Elise, and C.C. Orlev

The official Exodus website shows 11 total companions for the RPG, with 5 of those being what it refers to as the game's "combat companions" and the remaining 6 being "story companions." While the whole roster of companion characters will presumably be joining the player on their journey, the implication is that the 5 combat companions will be those players can actually take with them out onto the field, while the other 6 characters are likely there strictly for narrative purposes—though it's possible players may still be able to interact with them in the same way they interact with the combat companions.

Currently, 2 of Exodus' 5 combat companions have been revealed—Tom Vargas and Elise Charroux—whereas only 1 of the game's story companions, C.C. Orlev, has been confirmed. Furthermore, each of these characters has only a brief bio on the game's website, but again, that could change after the June 6 Future Games Show summer showcase when Archetype offers fans a more extensive look at Exodus.

Tom Vargas and Elise Charroux Are Two of Exodus' Combat Companions

First up is Tom Vargas, one of Exodus' confirmed combat companions. According to the game's website, Tom is a former Traveler who is haunted by the loss of his wife, later rebuilding his life on Lidon as a skilled salvager. He's 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 backstory is also rooted in the death of his wife and the trauma that follows. Carth was a Republic soldier and pilot whose family was devastated by the Sith, which gives him that same classic BioWare "good man carrying old grief into the party" foundation.

Then there's Elise Charroux, the second of Exodus' confirmed combat companions. Elise sounds like Exodus' answer to Mass Effect 2's Zaeed Massani more than anyone else. She's a blunt, battle-tested mercenary whose loyalty seems to mean stepping in front of the player rather than standing behind them. There are traces of Mass Effect 2's Jack in her criminal background as well, but based on her current description alone, Elise reads first and foremost like the kind of companion BioWare used to build around scars, firepower, and a very practical definition of trust.

C.C. Orlev Is One of Exodus' Story Companions

C.C. Orlev is probably the Exodus companion 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. However, unlike Tom and Elise, C.C. is one of Exodus' story companions, which, again, likely means he is there for narrative purposes more than gameplay. Much of C.C.'s backstory is shrouded in mystery, but based on what has already been revealed about him, he seems closest to Dragon Age's Flemeth.

Flemeth is a legendary figure surrounded by rumor, fear, myth, and uncertainty, and BioWare often uses her as the character who appears at critical moments while keeping her real motives hard to pin down. C.C. 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 game's protagonist, needs him most. There is a tinge of Mass Effect's Illusive Man in there as well, simply because he fits that useful but suspicious archetype.

Several Other Exodus Companions Have Been Confirmed, But Remain a Mystery

Apart from Tom, Elise, and C.C., the official Exodus website shows 8 other companion characters as well, 4 of which have already been given names and 4 that have not. Unlike Tom, Elise, and C.C., however, none of them have bios, so there is currently no information on who they are, where they've come from, or what their end goal might be.

Exodus Other Confirmed Companions

Salt the Octopus
Phaedra
Suliman
Emrys
Four Unnamed Story Companions

For now, Exodus is still only giving players fragments of its companion roster, but those fragments already say quite a bit if you know how to read them. Tom, Elise, and C.C. Orlev each feel like they are 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 is saying. That doesn't mean any of them are outright copies, but it does make the comparison hard to ignore, especially when Exodus is already wearing so much of its Mass Effect inspiration on its sleeve.

What matters now is whether Archetype can turn those familiar outlines into characters players actually care about. BioWare's best companion characters were never memorable because of how capable they were in combat but because they brought worthwhile, often complex relationships into the journey. If Exodus can do the same with Tom, Elise, C.C., 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 Effect's surface-level vibes.