When it was first revealed earlier this yr, we stated that The Expanse: Osiris Reborn “appears so much like a brand new Mass Impact.” Now, after having watched nearly an hour of it in motion at gamescom 2025, developer Owlcat Video games has carried out nothing to alter my thoughts. That’s, in fact, a really welcome factor – it’s been eight years because the final Mass Impact (13 because the final good one), and the upcoming, undated sequel is each distant and has so much 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 arduous sci-fi nature of The Expanse is new territory for this format, versus BioWare’s Star Wars and Trek influences. That enables it to neatly circumnavigate any “we’ve got Mass Impact at dwelling” 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, in case you’re a reader, and the early TV seasons in case you’re a watcher. You’ll really feel the impression of essential occasions ripple by way of your journey; the mission I watched inventive director Alexander Mishulin play befell 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 house station. If all meaning nothing to you, I don’t assume there’s something to fret about – I’m solely an off-the-cuff fan of The Expanse myself, with a fading reminiscence of these early episodes, and every part 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 group 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 individual 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 prospers, 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 glorious, complicated characters that reward a sluggish burn, and so there’s each likelihood your crew will get the place they have to 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 might be the place the demo kicks into motion: Protogen has adopted us again dwelling to demand justice. It’s right here we’re offered with a basic RPG selection: we are able to ask our Pinkwater Safety colleagues to withstand and canopy our escape, or just attempt to slip away unaided. One persuasion examine 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 rapid and delayed. As we crawl by way of the station’s vents, the roar of battle echoes as our allies maintain the road in opposition to Protogen. Later, we see the price of that selection: lifeless our bodies strewn by way of the corridors. After unlocking the station’s armoury in the hunt for new gear, we discover it utterly stripped of weapons – each rifle taken in an try and safe our security. These are maybe considerably surface-level penalties, and I think 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 dropping so many mercenaries, we’ve set ourselves up for extra important failure in a while down the highway.
Whereas the station’s employees had been doing lots 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 essentially the most enjoyable – thrown explosives with their very own steerage thrusters that zoom throughout the world like fireworks. There’s a lore cause for such extravagant properties: thrown explosives do not are inclined to go the place you need when there’s little-to-no gravity, and half the battle sequences proven within the demo had 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 had 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 sometimes eradicate the enemy’s cowl, however principally appears there to attain cool factors fairly than be a major tactical benefit. And it actually does look cool, particularly when explosions tear complete wall panels aside.
My predominant concern relating to fight is the menace that there can be few choices past weapons. The Expanse’s arduous sci-fi nature means there’s probably not the chance for house wizards or aliens with weird skills, and so it might 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 Responsibility, and my hope is that Owlcat has a wise, extra RPG-style method past that. Hopefully, 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 a number of extra hours to know if I’ll actually join with its characters – arguably an important a part of an RPG. However what I’ve seen seems to be precisely the sort of foundations I’ve been in search of since I took Shepard on their last mission. It’s combat-forward, however conversation-heavy. It’s concerning the group, 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 might be a colder, extra grounded universe that places arduous restrictions on a number of RPG staples, however it’s additionally a world rife with complicated politics that hopefully will result in conflicts which might be deeper and extra nuanced than the standard bleeding coronary heart leftie vs tyrannical fascist eventualities so widespread on this style.
This isn’t precisely the primary time Owlcat has “carried out 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 challenge 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. Nevertheless it is aware of it may well’t simply comply with in these actual footsteps. “We’re constructing on that legacy and increasing what gamers anticipate from this expertise,” stated 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 wanting these ambitions and is just 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.