Archetype Entertainment's new title, EXODUS, has drawn considerable attention ever since its initial reveal. Developed by RPG veterans who worked on Mass Effect and other acclaimed titles, the game places space travel's "time dilation" at its core.

The demo revealed through Bilibili First Look ran for about 90 minutes and covered a mission where protagonist Jun Aslan and his companions carry out a request from a figure named Suliman. Set in a region called Khonsu, the primary objective is to protect the Awakened frogs who manage the area from external threats.

Jun accepts Suliman's request to secure interstellar flight supplies from the Tenjin family, to which Suliman belongs. Following in his father's footsteps to become a Traveler, Jun completes various missions early in the game to gather people, resources, and companions while preparing for his upcoming Exodus.

At this point, the meaning behind the title EXODUS becomes clear. Lidon, the homeworld where humanity—including the protagonist—resides, is a planet that harbored ancient Celestial technology long before humans arrived. Present-day humanity cannot fully understand or harness this technology. To make matters worse, a phenomenon known as the Rot has begun to compromise the planet's habitability.

A Journey Skipping Decades: The People Preparing for 'EXODUS'

Travelers are the ones responsible for Lidon's future. Gathering vast resources and manpower, they embark on an Exodus to star systems decades of light-years away, retrieving Celestial technology to secure their homeworld's survival.

The universe of EXODUS does not ignore Einstein's special theory of relativity. While a journey may take only a few days from a Traveler's perspective, years or even decades pass back on Lidon by the time they return. Jun's father was also a great Traveler, but he never returned from his final Exodus.

The concept of choice, which the game constantly emphasizes, is directly linked to this time dilation. A small decision made before setting off into space can compound and evolve over decades, culminating in entirely unforeseen consequences upon returning. Relationships are no exception. Though little time has passed for the Traveler, those left behind age and move on with their lives.

Enough about the lore for now. Unfortunately, this hands-on preview did not allow us to directly experience EXODUS's ambitious time dilation mechanic. Instead, the demo focused on exploring the relatively linear stage of Khonsu to evaluate the game's fast-paced third-person action.

Swapping Guns and Abilities: Busier Combat Than Expected

As expected from a title crafted by former Mass Effect developers, familiar elements were easy to spot in the gameplay. The core loop involves fighting alongside companions, shooting firearms, and utilizing the protagonist's unique abilities inherited from Celestial power.

In this demo, the mission was carried out alongside two companions. Pressing LB on a controller orders companions to execute skills, with each companion possessing two abilities. One of these acts as an ultimate ability, usable once enough resources are accumulated.

That said, there is no need to manually move companions or micromanage their positioning. They navigate and fight autonomously, leaving the player to command skills when needed. Occasionally, companions would spot a specific enemy and suggest focusing fire on them first, though it was difficult to discern the exact underlying mechanic from this preview alone. It seemed to function primarily as a way to highlight high-threat targets on the battlefield.

Basic controls feel close to a traditional third-person shooter focused on a single protagonist. However, once you get hands-on, the combat proves surprisingly fast and APM-intensive.

The biggest reason for the hectic controls is the protagonist's weapon, the Recycler. It allows real-time mode swapping on a single firearm to utilize different firing modes. It is easiest to understand by comparing it to the Service Weapon used by the FBC Director in Control.

Pressing RB on the controller allows players to swap the Recycler's modes, select Gauntlet abilities, or choose throwable weapons. Because gear types must be constantly swapped depending on the combat situation, RB gets pressed far more often than anticipated during encounters.

The Gauntlet equipped on the right hand channels a portion of Celestial power. During exploration, it is used to bridge broken paths or unseal blocked areas, while in combat, it applies various status effects. For example, you can petrify an enemy to immobilize them before concentrating fire on their weak point with the Recycler.

However, the actual controls required some getting used to. Because Gauntlet abilities and throwable weapons share the same attack button, it was easy to get temporarily confused about what was currently selected. More than once, expecting to hip-fire, I pulled the trigger only to toss a grenade right in front of myself.

Each Gauntlet ability also has a fairly long cooldown. After using one skill, you immediately press RB to switch to another ability, toggle gun modes, or issue commands to companions. While chaotic at first, cycling through these various tools quickly seems to be where EXODUS's combat flavor shines once you get accustomed to it.

There is also a system for combining elemental attacks. Linking specific attacks appeared to produce more powerful synergistic effects, but because the demo started mid-game without a tutorial, discerning the finer mechanics was difficult. In the full release, players will likely be able to create elemental-focused builds by combining companion lineups, Recycler weapon mods, and Gauntlet abilities.

What If Your Choices Today Echo Decades Into the Future?

Choice mechanics, another key pillar emphasized by EXODUS, were evident throughout the demo. Decisions ranged from minor choices—like whether to share precious healing items with a defeated enemy who lost their will to fight—to high-stakes decisions near the end of the demo that seemed destined to heavily impact the narrative moving forward.

How these choices pan out could not be verified within the scope of this demo alone. However, through preceding cutscenes and character dialogue, the game effectively conveys that the decisions players face carry significant weight. That said, because the demo used a pre-made version of Jun, playing with a custom-created character might have offered an even deeper level of immersion for these choices.

Hands-on, EXODUS was undeniably intriguing. Placing a rare rule at the core of its worldbuilding—where departing into space and returning means the world back home has truly changed—makes it stand out immediately. The Celestial ruins scattered across Khonsu feature enigmatic designs that belie their original purpose, effectively heightening the game's mysterious atmosphere.

Certain texture qualities and screen-filling particle effects occasionally felt cluttered, and with so many systems presented all at once, controls felt overly complex at times, leaving plenty of room for polish. However, considering this was an in-development hands-on build, these are not major causes for concern.

If anything, the combat itself was busier than expected, making the tactical execution quite satisfying. Switching firearm modes, trapping enemies with Gauntlet abilities, and commanding companions to trigger skill combos naturally brought back memories of playing Mass Effect. If the full launch adds freer character progression, weapon modding, and companion synergies to craft custom combat builds, its satisfaction as an action RPG will likely soar even higher.

What remains to be seen is how dramatically the time dilation feature—not yet verifiable in this demo—will reshape player choices and the game world. Ultimately, EXODUS's true potential will likely be revealed not when setting off into space, but upon returning to your homeworld decades later.