The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is no Mass Effect, but it could give Exodus a run for its money

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn didn’t feel like my cup of tea at first, but 20 minutes in, I started to buy what it was selling thanks to its strongest gameplay feature.

Before my encounter at Gamescom, I was unfamiliar with the 2016 TV series of the same name. Fortunately, Osiris Reborn tells its own standalone story that requires no prior context of The Expanse at all, though fans of the series will obviously get more out of it.

My mission was simple. Infiltrate an enemy base incognito and erase internal data relating to both myself and my teammates. There wasn’t a lot of action for the first half of my demo and truthfully, it felt like a slow crawl.

I kept drawing comparisons to Mass Effect in my head, which already felt like an unfair match-up. Then I started thinking about Exodus, which GAMINGbible also played at Gamescom and were blown away by. It was a combination of the two that initially had me thinking Osiris Reborn wasn't for me.

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It was only when I started making some character choices that the picture being painted became a little clearer.

The Until Dawn-style dialogue system definitely caught my attention

For starters, there were heaps of options when selecting my dialogue, but there was a surprising lack of implication for what these choices might lead to later.

There was no “this teammate will remember this” pop-up, or even a symbol signifying what kind of response you’re about to utter. That’s not to say it was meaningless dialogue either. Every line you speak is selected in accordance with who you think your character is. You can really define your persona in the story this way, unlike other RPGs that tend to give you three or four options that don’t really lead anywhere.

That’s just the dialogue too. More meaningful choices came later, but like the dialogue, they were kept equally vague. I knew the three choices presented to me would result in some sort of long-term consequence, but they were phrased so well that I didn’t feel confident in predicting what outcomes they’d have.

It took me back to my first playthrough of Until Dawn. Not having the faintest idea of what sowed seeds I’ll eventually reap was exciting, even more so working out how that’d pair with my character’s given attitude.

Owlcat Games

Choice-driven RPGs like Mass Effect and the upcoming Exodus are more than just chatterboxes though, they have action.

That’s unfortunately where Osiris Reborn falls apart. Combat was fine, but after around 20 minutes of cover shooting, I actually found myself wanting to return to the dialogue-heavy portion of my demo.

You get a cool array of gadgets to play with and you can order your teammates to pop distant enemies or take down structures depending on their loadout. There’s even some neat environmental takedowns like dislodging rubble to crush whoever is underneath.

It was fine if not a little repetitive after a while, but it’s hard to judge it too harshly considering games like Mass Effect aren’t exactly renowned for their combat either.

All in all, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn was a pleasant surprise at this year's Gamescom. I’m keen to play a bit more, especially since Owlcat Games has plenty of time to spruce up the combat before the game’s Q2 2027 launch.

I don’t think for a second that it’ll surpass Mass Effect, but it could at least go toe-to-toe with Exodus with a bit more shine.

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