Summary of "The Expanse Osris Reborn Gameplay First Look - The Next Mass Effect?"
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn — Fextralife first look
A first-look preview of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn (via Fextralife) covers a closed-beta build set between the Eros incident and the opening of the rings. The game uses familiar characters and setting from The Expanse but tells an original, non-canonical story. The closed beta lets players explore Pinkwater Station and play the game’s second story mission.
High-level storyline
- Set in The Expanse universe between the Eros incident and the opening of the rings; familiar setting/characters are used but the story is original and does not directly follow the books or TV show.
- Closed-beta content: Pinkwater Station and the game’s second story mission.
- Beta player characters: two presets available (an officer — combat-focused; a hacker — ability-focused). Appearance choices in beta are limited to a male Earther or a female Belter.
- Estimated full-game length: ~30 hours (up to ~40 hours if you complete side content).
Gameplay highlights & systems
Genre and perspective
- Story-driven action RPG in third-person.
- Developed by Owlcat (a different internal team than their isometric Pathfinder studio).
Combat
- Features a cover system, gadgets, abilities, and companion commands with a pause-to-issue/execution order system.
- Tone compared to Mass Effect + The Division; preview combat felt a bit generic to the presenter.
- Expect to bring up to two companions into missions.
Companions
- Six companions in total.
- Each companion has distinct personality, objectives, dialogue, and potential romance options.
Equipment & progression
- Weapons: equip one long weapon and one sidearm.
- Gadget slots and “subsystems” (likely passive or ability modifiers).
- Workbench for weapon upgrades (and possibly other gear upgrades).
- Skill trees allow customization (damage, gadget effectiveness, persuasion/skill checks, leadership, etc.) to tune builds.
Dialogue, audio, and music
- Dialogue options are plentiful in the preview.
- Voice acting and music appeared strong.
Ships and exploration
- Space/ship sequences are mostly cinematic, decision-based scenes rather than manually piloted space combat.
- Ships are not customizable and change only as a result of scripted story outcomes.
- No large-scale planetary vehicle exploration like Mass Effect’s Mako; focus is on on-foot narrative and combat.
Confirmed explorable locations (so far)
- Ceres
- Ganymede
- Pinkwater Station
- Thoth Station
Business and platform notes
- Closed beta (April 22) accessible to collector’s edition purchasers or Miller’s Pack buyers.
- Game launches day-one on Xbox Game Pass.
- The title is positioned as a double-A project (not AAA).
Practical tips & takeaways from the preview
- If you want beta access without buying the expensive collector’s edition, the Miller’s Pack (~$79.99) is the cheaper option.
- If undecided about buying into the beta, wait for impressions and full coverage from beta players (Fextralife will publish theirs).
- Choose a beta preset that matches your playstyle (officer = combat; hacker = abilities); expect deeper customization later via skill trees.
- Use companion commands and leadership/skill-tree boosts to optimize group combat.
- Invest in weapon/workbench upgrades and subsystem/gadget builds to improve survivability and effectiveness.
- Don’t expect deep ship mechanics or planetary driving — prioritize on-foot combat and story engagement.
- Keep expectations realistic for combat: story, writing, and setting may carry the experience if combat proves average.
Concerns & unknowns
- Combat felt somewhat generic in the preview footage; how engaging it will be remains the biggest question.
- Extent and explicitness of romance/sex scenes are unclear.
- Details on the class/preset system and the exact function of subsystems were not fully explained in the preview.
Sources / featured
- Fextralife (video preview)
- Owlcat (developer)
- The Expanse (books & TV series)
Category
Gaming
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