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)