The Expanse: Osiris Reborn looks like Owlcat’s take on a Mass Effect RPG

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is the RPG rendition of the hit The Expanse TV and book series that we’ve all been waiting for. Coming from Owlcat Games, this is a story-driven RPG with third person tactical action gameplay that… well, the comparisons with Mass Effect are inevitable, aren’t they?

Best known for their CRPGs Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Owlcat is shifting gears for their adaptation of The Expanse. While the first three quarters of the announcement trailer are a lavishly rendered cinematic, the final section shows snippets of pre-alpha gameplay to give an indication of what to expect.

Here’s a little bit of blurb to establish the setting:

You play as a Pinkwater Security mercenary whose brief shore leave on the asteroid Eros spirals out of control. Trapped in a deadly lockdown and drawn into a solar system-wide conspiracy far beyond your control, you’ll have to adapt, survive, taking command of the most advanced ship in the whole of the solar system. Gather a crew and find your own path through the web of lies to leave your mark on the solar system.

This puts the game’s setting right at the start of the sci-fi series’ timeline, running in parallel to the adventures of the crew of the Rocinante during the first and second seasons of the TV series. You can choose to be from Earth and Mars, or be a Belter. You will need to use different skills in combat and outside of it. In combat, the action will be that of a third person shooter but with tactical elements as you will need to use tactical items and the skills of your crew to get the upper hand. The crew will be incredibly important to the story and the way events can unfold. Each person you pick up has their own goals, motivations, and history to unpick, which you may discover while living together on the ship, which is called Gemini. Uncovering the layers of your crew and the secrets of the wider Expanse universe, and by doing so the paths that open to you can and will change.

This isn’t the first time that The Expanse has been adapted to video games – that would be the 2023 Telltale game – but it is a fitting return to the sci-fi world’s roots. Ty Franck – one half of the writing duo behind the pen-name James S.A. Corey – famously conceived of the setting first as a setting for an MMORPG and then a tabletop RPG, running a test game with a group of friends that eventually became the basis for the first novel’s story. It’s always nice when things come right back around, isn’t it?

There are four versions of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn including the standard edition, the deluxe edition, the Miller’s Pack, and the Collector’s edition. What is worth noting is that the game will not be getting a physical release. The standard edition is priced at $49.99 which includes the game, an early adopter item and a Discord role.

• Deluxe Edition ($59.99) – All standard edition items plus name in credits, Miller’s OPA Heavy armour, and UN Spec Ops assault rifle.
• Miller’s Pack ($79.99) – All standard and deluxe items plus digital Artbook, digital soundtrack, Hall of Fame, Miller’s Casual outfit, Miller’s revolver, exclusive beta access.
• Collector’s Edition ($249.99) – All the items from the other editions plus a physical Gemini ship model, a physical Gemini medallion, printed artbook, three embroidered patches, and stickers.

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn will be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series XS.

Source: The Expanse: Osiris Reborn official site