True Player Choice Meets Active-Pause Action

The Expanse is a sci-fi action RPG developed by Owlcat Games, drawing on lore from both the television series and the books. Known for creating expansive CRPG worlds in their Pathfinder games and Warhammer: Rogue Trader, it was surprising to learn they were transitioning to a third-person action RPG.

Earlier this year, I checked out the closed beta, and it’s safe to say that it received mixed reactions, particularly regarding certain aspects of the voice acting, which has since been revised. While I enjoyed what I played, I found the player character lacking a bit of weight, making the movement feel a bit off. At Gamescom, I was fortunate enough to play the game again, experiencing a different segment this time. The presentation was led by the talented Natalia Tyurina, the game’s Lead Level Designer, who also contributed to Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion.

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During the mission, another group will attack the facility, turning it hostile.

Scouring the Facility

The demo took place on Ganymede, inside a Protogen base, and I was tasked with infiltrating the facility alongside my identical twin sister, J. Inside, it was spacious, and as I tend to do, I wanted to search every room for loot. However, my time was limited, so I had to reluctantly skip some areas to progress through the demo.

At the beginning, there were several objectives, which included but were not limited to speaking to various NPCs, discovering hidden codes, and searching the facility to uncover what it was hiding. The environment was, however, incredibly detailed, showcasing items typically found in a warehouse or factory, including forklifts, crates, racks, and secured areas.

During my travels, I was happy to see that the NPCs appeared to be engaged in their tasks, testing equipment as I walked past and having unique conversations; this really brought the area to life. While exploring, squadmates outside my active party provided hints and tips over the comms, using their unique expertise to assist in specific situations. I also discovered hidden items by passing a Perception skill check, a mechanic common in CRPGs. When I inquired about this system, I learned that skills can be leveled up, and you can even temporarily increase an associated skill by consuming a specific item, allowing you to bypass a check.

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In the facility, I had to bypass many security checkpoints to eventually reach this, and you don’t want to know what this is!

Tactile Cover Combat

Halfway through the mission, the facility gets attacked by a group of unknown soldiers, one of whom joins you as a squad member a bit later on. Naturally, this puts the base on alert, and I finally got access to my weapons and abilities. I had a couple of weapons on hand: an SMG and a Sniper Rifle. I mostly played with the Sniper Rifle during the demo, and each headshot felt punchy and satisfying, especially after performing a quick scope.

The enemies, though, were very aggressive and flanked my position with haste while the others were hurling grenades at me, causing me to relocate. Fortunately, I had a Drone and Turret as abilities, both of which came in handy. I sent the Drone to target a sniper at the back of the room who was keeping me pinned down and then used the Turret on the enemies in cover, also at the back of the room. This was a good example of how you use your abilities to support you in combat, and I’m curious to see how that can expand with more abilities on offer.

Whilst dealing with the ongoing threat, I was ambushed by another enemy with a flamethrower. They aggressively approached my position and unleashed a torrent of fire at the cover, forcing me to relocate. The flames covered the ground and persisted for a short while, draining my health when I moved through them, as you’d expect. Switching to my SMG, I targeted the tank on its back and triggered a massive explosion, taking it down along with a couple of others. I finished the combat segment with a few well-placed grenades that rocketed toward the enemies.

Throughout the whole scenario, I noticed a few on-screen prompts, but I was too caught up in the action to trigger them. Natalia explained that these prompts let my squad members either focus fire on an enemy or shoot down environmental objects, such as a pipe or other nearby objects.

All of this was just one example of how combat can play out in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, and it already felt far more engaging than the beta I played earlier in the year. I found the combat engaging, and to be honest, I enjoyed every moment of it, perhaps a bit disappointed when it was over.

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You can pause the combat, so you can make tactical commands to your squad.

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Many enemies will have weak points, like the tank on the back of this enemy.

Shaping the Belt

The story in this demo was self-contained for this part of the game, with the main goal being that I was sent to the Protogen enemy base to uncover their secrets. To my dismay, I discovered a creature famously known from the books and the show: the Protomolecule Hybrid. If you’re familiar with the show or the book, you’ll already know how difficult it is to defeat these creatures, so you can imagine my panic as I had to run from it while it chased me through the hallways.

Adrenaline hit me when the monster drew near, and I frantically scrambled through the corridors, internally screaming. The developers have certainly nailed that feeling of both exhilarating and terrifying. Eventually, I reached the end and entered an agricultural dome, where many farmers and botanists were working, another popular sight for fans of the TV series. At that point, I had a choice to make: let my squadmate lead them to safety or do it myself. I chose the former, and my teammate fired their gun into the air to get the workers’ attention before taking them to safety. Already, though, I’m curious what would have happened if I’d chosen the latter option.

As the workers began to flee, the Hybrid caught up to me, triggering a cutscene. My character assured the group that she would take care of it just before it lunged at her, causing a cliffhanger, as that’s where my time with the game ended, leaving me wanting to see the outcome of that moment next year (despite my pleas to Natalia to reveal what happens next).

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The Protomolecule Hybrid will chase you through the halls of the facility.

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The demo ends just after it reaches you!

By this point, I’ve seen a lot of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, but I still want to know so much more. For example, what is the relationship system like in the game? How much impact do choices really have? From what I’ve gathered, the choices can significantly alter the outcomes, and I’m looking forward to seeing that in action.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting more time with the game and wish it had lasted longer. With a few tweaks here and there, Owlcat has an incredible game on their hands. As a fan of both the book and the show, I know I’ll be picking this up next year.