Early Beta Impressions of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn Point to a Stiff Sci-Fi RPG
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
An early beta test of Owlcat Games' The Expanse: Osiris Reborn reveals a third-person RPG that captures the hard sci-fi aesthetic of the universe but stumbles with stiff character work, uncanny facial animations, and derivative Mass Effect style combat.
Owlcat Games is taking a swing at the hard sci-fi universe with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, but early hands-on time suggests the third-person RPG is struggling to capture the gritty charm of the source material. Set during the events of the television show's first season, the beta drops players onto a wheel-shaped mercenary spacebase near Jupiter. While the environment hits the right aesthetic notes with scuffed gear, fizzy holoscreens, and zero-gravity hull shootouts that lean into realistic physics, the actual moment-to-moment gameplay feels awfully familiar and somewhat uninspired.
Mechanically, the game draws heavy inspiration from the original Mass Effect trilogy, utilizing an over-the-shoulder perspective, weapon switching, and companion abilities. Unfortunately, the execution falls flat. Reviewers note that the character work lacks the memorable swagger of the TV show cast, leaving the core team feeling remarkably generic. Dialogue delivery is further complicated by hyper-detailed facial capture that creates an uncanny valley effect, pairing overly polished character models with stiff physical animations that pull you right out of the immersion.
For fans of the franchise who follow single-player expansions and story-driven releases closely, Osiris Reborn is certainly worth keeping on the radar as development continues. However, translating a beloved television and book property into an interactive format is always a massive hurdle. As Owlcat iterates on this early beta build, community feedback will be crucial in determining whether the final release can deliver the compelling narrative and sharp character dynamics that players expect from a modern RPG. You can read the original report over at Rock Paper Shotgun.
Tags: The Expanse Osiris Reborn, Owlcat Games, RPG, PC Gaming, Rock Paper Shotgun
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun