The recently held New Game Plus Showcase, which was admittedly way too long and featured way too much talking, still brought some interesting news for games a few of us are looking forward to. One of them is the upcoming Expanse RPG by Owlcat Games. A new developer interview has revealed a lot more about The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, and the overall scale is impressive. This is clearly not just a small side project set in a familiar universe.
The game itself was inspired by titles such as Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, and even Persona. It tells a new, original story that will play during the events of the first three books and early seasons of the show, but from a completely different perspective. You do not play as Holden. Instead, you step into the role of a Pinkwater mercenary, experiencing major events from the sidelines while still creating your own path. No prior knowledge of the books or show is required.
Player Choice Comes First
Osiris Reborn will focus heavily on player choice, both in how you build your character and how you approach the story.
You can customize:
- Your origin: Belter, Earther, or Martian
- Body type, appearance, and gender
- An identical twin sibling who is part of the narrative
Early on, the game reportedly encourages experimentation with weapons, gadgets, and playstyle presets. You can mix things up for a while, but eventually you will need to commit to a build, rather than constantly switching roles.
Not every choice leads to massive story changes, but many of the decisions you make will be important in one form or another. Your choices can either affect dialogue and relationships, change characters or locations, or have serious consequences.
Companions, Combat, And A Grounded World
Companions also play a big role throughout the game. Each has their own background, goals, and opinions on major events. They can disagree with your choices, influence situations, and even die depending on how things play out. Romance is also confirmed.
Combat uses third-person, cover-based gunplay, inspired by games like The Division and Gears of War, layered with gadgets and abilities such as shields, drones, grenades, and shoulder cannons. You can even build around gadgets rather than pure gunplay.
Exploration takes place across known locations in the solar system, including planets, stations, and social hubs where side quests and small decisions can feed back into your main playthrough.
The full experience is expected to last around 30 to 40 hours, which offers a tighter, more cinematic RPG than Owlcat’s usual long-form CRPGs.
If you want to watch the full developer interview, you can do so here:
For more updates on The Expanse and other games, check out our main news hub.