The Expanse television show may have ended its run a few years back, but fans of the series continue to eat well, with new comics, video games, and more to tide us over. The latest Expanse video game was announced over the weekend, and it looks like it may be the best yet. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is a third person action RPG, and unlike the prequel Telltale game, this one puts players into the line of fire during the main timeline of the series for a planet-hopping RPG adventure. Check out the announcement trailer:
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is being produced by Owlcat Games and Alcon Interactive Group, the latter of which is a part of the studio behind the television show, Alcon Entertainment. That means players can expect a lot of continuity with the TV series, from the design of weapons and equipment to specific story beats and Easter eggs. For example, the official description namedrops Eros Station; if you've seen the show, you may remember that's the station where the Protomolecule was unleashed during the climax of season 1, mutating its population and nearly killing Holden, Miller, and the rest of the Rocinante crew.
"The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is a story-driven sci-fi Action RPG," reads the description. "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."
The trailer above starts with a story cinematic but does get into some gameplay footage near the end. It looks like we'll see much more of the solar system than just Eros, but the fact that Eros is brought up at all is extremely exciting. The "lockdown" of Eros mentioned in the description is almost certainly because of the Protomolecule outbreak orchestrated by Protogen, meaning this game is going to kick off during one of the most iconic segements of the story.
On top of the story stuff, the gameplay itself also looks pretty great. It calls to mind games like Mass Effect, with well-developed companions, frenetic combat, and exploration of awe-inspiring sci-fi settings. The game's official website says it takes place in a "narrative-driven world where shifting power dynamics and personal choices will define your experience," and that players will visit such locales as "the gardens of Ganymede, the teeming slums of Ceres, bunker complexes veiled in the vastness of the Asteroid Belt, and the imperious political bastions of Mars and Luna."
Video game adaptations of shows or books often don't end up making huge waves, but If Owlcat delivers on what this trailer seems to be promising, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn could be the rare good game adaptation.
The Expanse began as a table-top RPG campaign imagined by writer Ty Franck, who then teamed up with author Daniel Abraham to turn it into a series of novels; the two wrote together under the pen name James S.A. Corey. Then it was turned into a TV show, and now it's back to being a game again. Sometimes I don't think The Expanse gets the credit it deserves for just how nimble it is at drifting between mediums in a way few other IPs could manage.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn does not currently have a set release date, but if you'd like to preorder a copy to support the game early, the website has options for several different editions. It will be available on Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox.
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