During a four-hour hands-on session with Exodus, the upcoming sci-fi RPG from Archetype Entertainment, a studio co-founded by former BioWare developers, the most memorable element encountered was a society of giant, talking frogs. This preview focused on the game's space station Khonsu, a vital orbital platform responsible for generating a shield to protect the homeworld Lidon from space debris.
The maintenance of Khonsu falls to the Kay, a species of giant frogs who navigate the station within large tubes of water. These amphibians are part of the Awakened, a staple in the Exodus universe, characterized by enhanced size, intelligence, and longevity. Their communication with humans is facilitated by translation devices, allowing humans to understand their speech despite the Kay's physical inability to form human words.
"Most of the Awakened communication is through technology," explained Exodus narrative director Drew Karpyshyn. "They have [...] little translators. So it is sort of a translation on the fly. You know, they're not actually speaking in human words as such."
The Kay encountered in the demo exhibit distinct personalities, despite a simplified cadence in their speech, reminiscent of other Awakened creatures like Salt, Jun's octopus companion. One such character, 42C, an enthusiastic frog resembling a tree frog, was found playing music upon the player's arrival. He expressed excitement at meeting the protagonist, Jun, whom he knew from news broadcasts.
An Unexpected Alliance
42C agrees to assist against Gideon's forces, remarking casually about their long presence on the station, a statement that contrasts with the known timeline of their arrival. When asked his age, 42C states he is "two" and considers himself "basically already an adult." He accompanies the player intermittently, offering updates on enemy movements and sometimes inadvertently revealing the player's position.
Another Kay, 13A, appears more toad-like and is identified as a senior engineer. Unlike 42C, 13A is not fully submerged, instead standing in a pond. He humorously dismisses the human capacity to understand the station's "Celestial tech" while boasting about his intelligence. This interaction highlights the unique cultural and societal elements within the game, where even the station's engineers are giant frogs.
Further exploration of Khonsu reveals two more Kay. 62D is portrayed as a fervent follower of an obscure religion, initially mistaking the player for a heretic before changing her assessment upon being freed. In contrast, 13C expresses weariness from being confined, calling the experience an "exhausting ordeal" despite her immobility. She offers access to weapon mods and upgrades, drawing a parallel to retail workers who might prefer to rest.
Khonsu serves as the sole off-world location visited during this hands-on preview, but its effective portrayal as a distinct foreign culture has raised expectations for the game's depiction of other distant planets. The presence of aquatic Awakened, such as Salt the octopus in a mech suit, is also noted as a point of interest for the broader Exodus universe. Exodus is slated for release on April 7, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.