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Combat and Gameplay
May 17, 2026 at 06:17 AM
Initial version (2026-05-17)
EXODUS plays as a third-person, cover-based action-adventure RPG. Moment to moment, the player moves Jun Aslan in and out of cover, swaps the Recycler between configurations to match range and enemy type, triggers gauntlet abilities, and directs companions to flank or focus targets. Stealth, dialogue, and traversal are first-class systems alongside gunplay, and missions are designed to be solvable through more than one of them.
The skeleton of a typical firefight in EXODUS is:
Enter a contested space and assess the cover layout and the enemy mix.
Pick a Recycler configuration suited to range: precision rifle for snipers, repeater for mid-range mobile threats, spread shot for close packs. The Recycler swaps modes on the fly.
Drop into cover, suppress key threats, and use gauntlet abilities (for example the Lance, a livestone javelin that hits for heavy single-target damage) to break stalemates.
Direct companions: tell them to suppress one flank, focus a Changeling shock unit, or pop a special ability for synergy.
Reposition with the Railclaw if the cover layout no longer favors the squad: it pulls Jun up to ledges and across gaps quickly.
Combat is described by the developers as "hard and unrelenting". The Traveler is consistently outnumbered, so positioning, ability timing, and stealth setup matter as much as raw damage.
Most encounters can be opened (or sometimes resolved entirely) through stealth. The toolkit includes:
Spectre Recycler mode. A single-shot stealth configuration of the main weapon for quiet ranged kills.
Gauntlet takedowns. Silent close-quarters eliminations using the same wrist hardware that runs the Lance.
Environmental setups. Tampering with lights, locks, and patrol routes before triggering a fight.
Movement options. The Railclaw and the cover system together allow Jun to relocate without being detected.
Stealth is presented as a viable approach to entire sections, not just an opener. Players who lean on it can still trigger combat when it suits them.
Companions are not autonomous loadouts. The player can pause-or-direct in real time to call specific abilities at specific times. Suggested patterns in marketing include:
Triggering Tom Vargas's marksman shot to silence a long-range threat while Jun closes distance.
Sending Elise Charroux up a flank with a shotgun-class Recycler analog to flush units out of cover.
Letting Salt's mech suit absorb suppressive fire while Jun repositions with the Railclaw.
See Companions and Crew for the full party.
Outside combat, EXODUS uses a branching dialogue wheel with tone indicators (friendly, blunt, manipulative, and so on). The April 2026 community update provided the first detailed look at this UI, including the role companions play in conversations: their reactions can lock or unlock options, and their presence at certain pivotal moments shapes which storylines are still available later.
Choice is reinforced by the Time Dilation framework. Decisions made in dialogue propagate forward through years or centuries of objective time, so a small concession during a conversation can mature into a galaxy-scale outcome by the next Exodus.
The Railclaw grappling tool is the headline traversal mechanic. It pulls Jun rapidly up to high ledges, across canyon gaps, and onto otherwise inaccessible vantage points. Outside combat it is presented as a freeform mobility option: the developers describe it as a tool that makes obstacles "part of how you move through the world". In combat it is a fast reposition that can also be used to close gaps to specific enemies.
EXODUS supports full controller input and is positioned as a story-first single-player game with adjustable difficulty. Final accessibility options have not yet been published in detail; expect them closer to the Early 2027 launch window. The Release and Platforms article tracks supported languages and platform availability.
