Introduction: The 21st century brought about a lot of fantastic science-fiction works that were mainly created by young authors. One of the best examples is the case of James S. A. Corey, which is the pen name of writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Together, they created The Expanse series, arguably one of the best sci-fi works in the past couple of decades. The epic tale of humanity in the 24th century has won over countless fans of the genre and even became an award-winning TV show. Now, thanks to Owlcat Games, this universe is coming to the gaming realm with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. The title, which is an action-adventure role-playing game already has a trailer that mesmerised anyone who watched or read The Expanse. At the same time, others are noticing that the setup seems very familiar to players of the legendary Mass Effect series. These elements could combine into a very successful title and even kickstart a gaming franchise in its own right.
Article: The first trailer for The Expanse: Osiris Reborn took the gaming public by complete surprise. Previously, there was no mention that the Owlcat Games, known for Warhammer 40000: Rogue Trader, was working on a new sci-fi game. However, when the trailer appeared, the reaction to it was more than positive. In just under four minutes, it managed to pack a powerful showing of action, elements of the source material, and sheer gaming appeal. In the trailer, the crew of a craft aggressively appears near a space station and proceeds to board it. Inside, a firefight occurs with many high-tech elements, like drones and self-deploying ballistic shields, only to have it all end in a terrifying mystery. To many fans of The Expanse series, the trailer could be a short animated film in its own right. At the same time, it also brought a bigger promise to the action RPG games – a new title set in a waste and detailed universe, with many possibilities for exploration, combat, and character advancement. For many, all of that pressed the same buttons as one of the most famous series in that genre, which is the Mass Effect franchise. Presently, it is hard to tell what scope and depth the Owlcat team will bring to the table with their new game. But, if the appeal of the same source material is presented in the right manner, that niche that was left empty with the final Mass Effect game could be filled with a brand-new gaming franchise.
The Expanse Universe
The story of The Expanse series began nearly 15 years ago. Back in 2011, the Abraham and Franck duo published the first book in the series, called Leviathan Wakes. The title quickly became a best-seller, but also began a series that produced nine books so far, as well as short story anthologies. The success of the series was also recognized by the Syfy network, which turned the novels into highly successful TV shows. In all of these cases, the core appeal of the series lies in its interesting premise, where factions of the old Earth, assertive, militaristic Mars, and the newly colonized, but rebellious asteroid Belt region all encounter a deadly alien mystery from the depths of space. This is a very fruitful ground for great science fiction, but also for gaming, as it offers a range of possibilities not just in the narrative sense, but also when it comes to the gameplay itself.
Space Action and Adventure
In terms of its gameplay mechanics, the game will be a third-person action, focusing its combat on a range of firearms. But, being that it is set in the spacefaring future, a lot of the same action will be set on spaceships, hollowed-out asteroids, industrial space rigs, and similar locations. Here, the effect of gravity – or its absence – could turn into a fantastic element that is not only cosmetic but provides a range of otherwise impossible alternatives. On top of that, the game will include a role-playing element that will offer a chance for the players to improve their characters, who will start the game as a lowly security mercenary. From it, they will be able to advance into a more specific profile. This will allow them to improve their tech and gear, enhance gunplay functions, or take on additional companions that will help in any situation. While none of this sounds very unique or unusual, it still provides a tried and tested formula that made Mass Effect into such a legendary series.
High Production Values
The background of Owlcat Games is a great fit for a game like The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. WH40K Rogue Trader has so far gotten a very positive response. Additionally, that game is, in terms of genre, very close to the studio’s new title. What is just as important is the fact that both games take place in massive fictional universes and navigating that burden is often very demanding. But, the writing and worldbuilding of Rogue Trader have been especially commended by Warhammer fans, so The Expanse should be in safe hands. This confident handling of the source material has already allowed the Owlcat team to focus on the production values, which seem on par with bigger AAA games. That purely visual appeal is important for grand science fiction games and Osiris Reborn’s success will be charted by how good it looks, especially its epic space battles and other eye-candy moments.
The Market for Epic Sci-Fi
The excitement that welcomed the trailer for The Expanse game shows that there is a big market for what was once called space opera. Today, that genre is broken into many sub-elements, like military science fiction, hard sci-fi, and others. But, all of those have in common a huge number of gamers who want to take off into big adventures in the distant future. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn seems to be fully locked onto that target. The game still has no exact release date, but it will appear most likely on PC, Playstation, and Xbox markets somewhere in 2026. For now, all of the necessities of a successful action RPG seem to be falling into place for the Owlcat team, including a lot of social media chatter about the game. This means that there are most likely ongoing discussions about the possibilities of new games in The Expanse universe. All of that is great news not just for Mass Effect fans, but everyone who enjoys launching into the unknowns of the distant future.
Game details are available on Steam
Author: Ivica Milaric, game designer and assistant professor of game design at the Novi Sada Academy of Arts, Republic of Serbia