Like all narrative RPG value its salt, Exodus will allow you to begin romantic relationships together with your get together members. The truth is, like lots of its style contemporaries, developer Archetype Leisure’s debut recreation appears to actively encourage it. However you however can’t begin a romance with Salt the octopus, the sport’s narrative director confirmed to Polygon.
Salt has become somewhat of a fan favorite amongst Exodus followers following her starring flip within the Exodus release date trailer that aired throughout Gamescom 2026’s Opening Night Live showcase. The trailer dove into Salt’s background as an Woke up — a creature from Previous Earth who has had their consciousness heightened by genetic manipulation and technological development. As a result of Salt is an octopus who can’t survive for lengthy intervals out of the water, she travels the Centauri Cluster (the place Exodus is about) in a tricked-out mech swimsuit, wreaking havoc wherever she goes.
Salt is considered one of six fight companions in Exodus, and when you can date most of them, she’s utterly off the desk.
“Salt simply thinks people are gross,” Exodus narrative director Drew Karpyshyn advised Polygon in an interview at a latest preview occasion in Austin, Texas. “It’s, like, ‘They’ve 4 legs? That’s bizarre. That’s not sufficient legs. Yeah, no, not sufficient.’”
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Exodus will function intricate romances
Past Salt, although, you’ll be able to romance “many” of your companions, Karpyshyn mentioned, although he didn’t element precisely which of them had been obtainable. Your get together additionally contains Tom Vargas, an interstellar explorer often known as a Traveler; Elise Charroux, a cryogenically frozen mercenary from the twenty third century; Phaedra Nath, a blind archaeologist who sees the world by the usage of drones; Suliman, one other Traveler, although he occurs to be completely loaded; and Emrys, a Celestial, a kind of post-human who’s elevated far past the bounds of the human genome because of hundreds of years of evolution. (Exodus is about 40,000 years sooner or later.)
“Our romances, they’re not gender-locked in any respect,” Karpyshyn mentioned. It is a notable distinction from another futuristic narrative RPGs, like BioWare’s Mass Impact trilogy, which infamously restricted some romance choices relying on the gender of your fundamental character, Commander Shepherd. As an illustration, the prolific Turian physique pillow mannequin Garrus was solely obtainable as a romantic associate to feminine Shepherds, whereas male Shepherds might begin relationships with the sarcastic Quarian Tali.
Romance in Exodus is one thing you’ll have to actively pursue. Exodus includes a morality system, the place usually form actions improve your Paladin score (that’s a blue scale) and customarily dick-ish actions improve your Immortal score (that’s a crimson one). Relying in your decisions all through the sport, whether or not at essential junctions throughout missions and even simply in common conversations, you’ll be able to construct or lose affinity with get together members. To enter a relationship with one other character, you’ll have to construct your affinity with them.
“You’re not gonna by chance get right into a romance,” Karpyshyn mentioned. “Except you’re making an attempt.”
It is also unimaginable to make everybody completely happy. Should you begin a romance with one character, you is likely to be completely closed off from beginning relationships with different characters. You would possibly even discover, as you undergo the sport, {that a} character you are drawn to initially displays some ethical repugnance that pushes you away from them. Or, hey, possibly that is a part of the attract.
“We would like these relationships to really feel actual,” Karpyshyn mentioned. “We would like gamers to be confronted with decisions and have these enjoyable, agonizing moments the place they’re, like, ‘Oh, what do I do right here?’”
Exodus shall be launched April 7, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Home windows PC, and Xbox Collection X(odus). You’ll be able to learn our hands-on Exodus preview right here and our interview with its creators here.
Archetype Leisure offered Polygon’s flight and lodge for functions of attending this preview. Learn extra about Polygon’s journey and ethics coverage here.