When it was first revealed earlier this yr, we mentioned that The Expanse: Osiris Reborn “seems lots like a brand new Mass Impact.” Now, after having watched virtually an hour of it in motion at gamescom 2025, developer Owlcat Video games has finished nothing to vary my thoughts. That’s, in fact, a really welcome factor – it’s been eight years for the reason that final Mass Impact (13 for the reason that final good one), and the upcoming, undated sequel is each far-off and has lots to show following BioWare’s current chain of underwhelming releases. Owlcat stepping up with its personal 3D, space-faring journey is one thing of a aid, then – lastly, after so a few years of ready, we’re getting a “new” Mass Impact from a studio that’s actually confirmed its RPG skills with the likes of Pathfinder and Rogue Dealer. However whereas Osiris Reborn is actually comfortingly acquainted, the laborious sci-fi nature of The Expanse is new territory for this format, versus BioWare’s Star Wars and Trek influences. That permits it to neatly circumnavigate any “now we have Mass Impact at house” jokes, however does run the danger of being a colder cousin to Commander Shepard’s so simply likable odyssey.
Osiris Reborn takes place in parallel to The Expanse’s core story – the primary two books, should you’re a reader, and the early TV seasons should you’re a watcher. You’ll really feel the affect of necessary occasions ripple by means of your journey; the mission I watched inventive director Alexander Mishulin play occurred within the wake of the Eros Incident, and a number of other minutes within the information of the Canterbury being attacked was spreading amongst a panicked area station. If all meaning nothing to you, I don’t assume there’s something to fret about – I’m solely an informal fan of The Expanse myself, with a fading reminiscence of these early episodes, and the whole lot appeared to fit into place. I think about Owlcat is making efforts for this authentic story to be a gateway into the universe.
Whereas acquainted faces will ultimately flip up, Osiris Reborn charts the journey of a player-created protagonist and a staff of authentic characters. Amongst your crew of Pinkwater Safety mercenaries is J, our companion for this demo mission in addition to your sibling (they’re modelled after your customized character to make sure household resemblance, a pleasant contact meaning everybody will get their very own model of them.) Owlcat goals to make each companion really feel current and alive, and as we discover the mercenary station J wanders off to talk with NPCs, offering the sense that he’s his personal particular person and never only a pawn to direct in battle.
As we push on and gossip with a vendor and a technician, I discover that the writing doesn’t hit the highs of both Mass Impact or Owlcat’s personal isometric RPGs. It’s considerably flat and missing in character-defining thrives, and in consequence I’m not but satisfied these companions can be as charming or participating as these within the collection Osiris Rising is so clearly constructed upon. However don’t take that as me writing them off – The Expanse has some wonderful, complicated characters that reward a gradual burn, and so there’s each probability your crew will get the place they should be over the course of the 30-ish hour marketing campaign.
The siblings beforehand escaped the disastrous Eros Incident by stealing a spaceship from the shadowy Protogen company, and the repercussions of which can be the place the demo kicks into motion: Protogen has adopted us again house to demand justice. It’s right here we’re offered with a traditional RPG alternative: we will ask our Pinkwater Safety colleagues to withstand and canopy our escape, or just attempt to slip away unaided. One persuasion verify later, the station’s senior officer has agreed to have his mercenaries maintain the road whereas we make our exit. Mishulin guarantees there can be repercussions for this, each quick and delayed. As we crawl by means of the station’s vents, the roar of battle echoes as our allies maintain the road towards Protogen. Later, we see the price of that alternative: lifeless our bodies strewn by means of the corridors. After unlocking the station’s armoury searching for new tools, we discover it fully stripped of weapons – each rifle taken in an try and safe our security. These are maybe considerably surface-level penalties, and I believe the choice route wouldn’t have been considerably totally different (Protogen later introduced that they’d have handled us moderately peacefully, so actually there’d be fewer our bodies.) The actual query is how our decisions ripple throughout the marketing campaign. Maybe by resisting and shedding so many mercenaries, we’ve set ourselves up for extra vital failure in a while down the street.
Whereas the station’s workers have been doing loads to struggle off Protogen, there have been a number of alternatives for us to deal out our personal punishment. Like Mass Impact, fight is a core a part of The Expanse, and is equally a cover-based capturing affair augmented by skills. The rocket grenades are maybe probably the most enjoyable – thrown explosives with their very own steerage thrusters that zoom throughout the world like fireworks. There’s a lore motive for such extravagant properties: thrown explosives do not are likely to go the place you need when there’s little-to-no gravity, and half the battle sequences proven within the demo have been in such areas. Anchored to the aspect of the station by mag-lock boots, these fights didn’t appear considerably totally different to these waged inside, regardless of a bespoke system that adjusts the way in which motion feels and handles, however have been made placing by the way in which our bodies and particles float throughout the world. Destructible environments splinter and shatter underneath heavy gunfire, which does often get rid of the enemy’s cowl, however principally appears there to attain cool factors quite than be a big tactical benefit. And it actually does look cool, particularly when explosions tear complete wall panels aside.
My predominant concern in relation to fight is the risk that there can be few choices past weapons. The Expanse’s laborious sci-fi nature means there’s not likely the chance for area wizards or aliens with weird skills, and so it could be that your entire fight expertise is delivered by way of the muzzle of a gun. Mishulin assures me there’s all kinds of firearms that present a spread of experiences even inside weapon classifications (there are three assault rifles and all of them have considerably totally different properties, he explains), plus the excellence between a sniper-focused marksman and the extra typical run-and-gun class. However that’s all very Name of Obligation, and my hope is that Owlcat has a sensible, extra RPG-style method past that. With a bit of luck, there can be technical characters reminiscent of hackers that present a extra specialised, ability-driven method.
I can’t say I’ve immediately fallen in love with anyone single a part of Osiris Reborn, and I’ll must see not less than just a few extra hours to know if I’ll really join with its characters – arguably crucial a part of an RPG. However what I’ve seen seems to be precisely the form of foundations I’ve been on the lookout for since I took Shepard on their ultimate mission. It’s combat-forward, however conversation-heavy. It’s in regards to the staff, however with not one of the micromanagement of extra conventional laptop RPGs. And The Expanse itself is a promising ore vein to be mined – it could be a colder, extra grounded universe that places laborious restrictions on a number of RPG staples, nevertheless it’s additionally a world rife with complicated politics that hopefully will result in conflicts which can be deeper and extra nuanced than the everyday bleeding coronary heart leftie vs tyrannical fascist eventualities so widespread on this style.
This isn’t precisely the primary time Owlcat has “finished a BioWare.” Because the demo got here to a detailed, Mishulin in contrast the studio’s Pathfinder video games to Baldur’s Gate 2. This venture sees the developer take inspiration from a later period of BioWare – and so Owlcat should additionally tread the identical path as its muse, shifting from isometric to cinematic. However it is aware of it could possibly’t simply observe in these actual footsteps. “We’re constructing on that legacy and increasing what gamers anticipate from this expertise,” mentioned recreation design producer Yuliya Chernenko when The Expanse: Osiris Reborn was introduced. I wouldn’t say I noticed a lot proof of that enlargement on this demo, however I hope that it exists and can be revealed in time. However even when it falls in need of these ambitions and is solely a tough sci-fi model of Mass Impact, I believe I’d nonetheless fortunately accept that.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s Govt Editor of Options.