Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and Pathfinder: Kingmaker developers Owlcat Games are venturing into the realm of “hard sci-fi” with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a new RPG based on the James S. A. Corey novels and Syfy TV adaptations. It’s an original story that casts you as a Pinkwater Security mercenary, who starts out trapped on Eros Station – an asteroid base that undergoes cataclysmic upheaval in the TV show – and later takes charge of an advanced starship, so as to quest around the solar system. The game is inspired by BioWare’s Mass Effect series, with “tactical” third-person combat featuring two ally characters and cover mechanics. Also, crew romances. Here’s a trailer.
In a press release, game design producer Yuliya Chernenko comments that “the original Mass Effect trilogy was absolutely an inspiration to the team”, being “iconic for the Xbox 360 generation of gamers”. I was going to get snobby about that nod to consoles, but then I realised that the sentence is a sick burn on Mass Effect Andromeda, so we’ll call it square.
Its 360 thinking aside, Osiris Reborn’s combat “reflects the standards of modern action gameplay”. I’m unconvinced of Owlcat’s ability to develop a real-time Mass Effect-style squad action experience, but they’ve got ample prior for the kinds of crew relationship dynamics and political tensions you find in both Mass Effect and The Expanse.
Please take shelter behind the nearest knee-high surface while I pepper your position with these bulletpoint features, according to what I hope is a faithful simulation of zero-G physics:
Create Your Own Captain: Play as an Earther, Martian, or Belter and take command of the system’s most advanced ship. Shape your journey through identity, leadership, and the pressure of survival.
Lead a Crew: Your companions are more than squadmates — they have pasts, motives, and a voice in your story. Your leadership decisions will determine how squadmate loyalty shifts under pressure.
Tactical Third-Person Combat: Implement real-time strategic cover mechanics using various abilities and squad coordination. Bring two companions into combat while others support from behind the scenes.
Explore a Divided Solar System: Travel across iconic locations from the TV show and books, like Ganymede, Ceres, Mars, and Luna. While traversing the various environments, players must uncover secrets and influence outcomes through their skills and decisions.
A Story-Driven RPG True to The Expanse: Immerse yourself in a narrative grounded in tension, consequence, and the complexity of humanity’s future among the stars
Osiris Reborn is coming to Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG at a date that is not today, nor tomorrow, but “soon”.
The developers are at pains to reassure that they’ve got a whole new team working on the thing and that there is no overlap with any of Owlcat’s other projects, including the recently revealed Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy. They’re collaborating on the game with Alcon Interactive Group, publishers of The Expanse: A Telltale Story.