The Expanse: Osiris Reborn — Can Owlcat Cast a Mass Effect Spell Without Falling into the AI Cauldron?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn looks like a stunning, cover-based sci-fi RPG that could fill the Mass Effect-sized hole in our hearts, but Owlcat Games' admission of using generative AI tools has stirred up a cosmic debate about the future of human-led game design.
I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well? That’s the vibe I’m getting from Owlcat Games right now. They’ve been cooking up a new sci-fi epic called *The Expanse: Osiris Reborn*, and while it looks like the spiritual successor to *Mass Effect* we’ve all been begging for, there’s a bit of a digital poltergeist in the machine that we need to talk about.
Now, before we get into the weeds, I’ve got to give a massive shout-out to Robert Purchese over at Eurogamer. He’s the brave soul who actually sat down with a 90-minute demo of the game, and his impressions have given us a lot to chew on. Honestly, it’s a proper belter of a story, but it comes with a side of caution that’s got my skeptical wizard whiskers twitching.
### The Magic of the Belt
If you’ve played *Pathfinder* or *Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader*, you know Owlcat Games doesn’t do 'simple.' They do crunchy. They do dense. They do the kind of role-playing that requires a spreadsheet and a very large cup of tea. So, when they announced they were moving into the cinematic, over-the-shoulder territory of Unreal Engine 5 with *The Expanse* IP, I reckon a few of us held our breath. Could the masters of the isometric CRPG actually pull off a high-octane space opera?
According to the Eurogamer preview, the answer is a resounding 'maybe-leaning-towards-yes.' Purchese played through a slice of the game set on a space station called Pinkwater 4. (Fans of the books, feel free to geek out here; I’m still on book one, so I’m just nodding along like I know what’s happening). The demo showcases a twin-protagonist system where your choice of gender for your main character determines the gender of your twin. It’s a neat little narrative anchor, even if the current build lacks a full character creator.
I was particularly chuffed to hear about the 'Belter' background. In the world of *The Expanse*, if you’re born on the asteroid belt, you’re supposed to be taller and thinner due to low gravity. While the demo didn’t quite nail the 'lanky Belter' physique just yet, the dialogue system—complete with skill-checks for things like persuasion—is already looking sharp. It’s that 'sticky role-playing glue' we love, holding together a world that looks surprisingly polished for a game that’s still a year away from release.
### Gunfights and Gravity Boots
Now, let’s talk combat, because this is where the *Mass Effect* comparisons really start to fly. We’re talking over-the-shoulder, cover-based shooting. You duck behind crates, you blind-fire, and you order your companions around like a bossy space captain. But Owlcat has added a bit of their own secret sauce here: environmental destruction.
Imagine you’re pinned down behind a piece of thin wall, thinking you’re safe, only for the enemy to blow the bloody thing to smithereens. Suddenly, you’re scurrying for new cover like a startled space-rat. It sounds chaotic, tactical, and brilliantly reactive. Purchese noted that your companions can be ordered to yank down air vents or explode pipes to flush out clusters of enemies. It’s not 'space magic'—this is a more grounded, tech-heavy sci-fi—but it sounds just as satisfying.
But the real show-stopper? The mag boots. There’s a section in the demo where you’re fighting on the exterior of the space station in zero-G. Because you’re magnetically locked to the surface, whatever side of the station you’re walking on becomes your 'down.' As you loop around the station, your perspective shifts and flips. I can already feel my stomach doing backflips just thinking about it, but as a gameplay mechanic? It’s bloody brilliant. It’s exactly the kind of innovation that makes me optimistic about where this tech is going.
### The Elephant in the Alchemy Lab: Generative AI
Right, so everything sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Great graphics, 'crunchy' RPG systems, and gravity-defying gunfights. But here’s where I have to put on my skeptical wizard hat. Owlcat confirmed recently that they are using generative-AI tools during the development of *The Expanse: Osiris Reborn*.
Naturally, this sent a ripple through the community. Owlcat’s defense is that they’re using it to 'iterate faster'—taking 2D images and seeing how they look in 3D, that sort of thing. They’ve promised that 'everything in the final version will definitely 100 percent be human made.' No AI voices, no AI writing.
But I’ve got to ask: where do we draw the line? If a wizard uses a magic wand to stir his potion, is the potion still handmade? It’s a bit of a sticky wicket. On one hand, game development is getting obscenely expensive and time-consuming. If tools can help a team of 200 people build a massive universe without burning out, that’s a win for everyone. But on the other hand, there are questions about the data these AIs are trained on and whether we’re slowly eroding the human soul of the creative process.
Purchese mentions using AI for transcriptions—something many of us do—and asks if that’s okay. It’s a fair point. We use technology to augment our work every day. But in the context of Web3 and the future of digital ownership, transparency is everything. If we don't know which parts of our digital worlds were dreamt up by a human and which were spat out by an algorithm, does it change how we value them? It’s a nagging question that doesn't have an easy answer, and honestly, it’s okay to feel a bit conflicted about it.
### Cautious Optimism (With a Side of Sarcasm)
Despite my grumbling about AI, I reckon *The Expanse: Osiris Reborn* is looking like a proper contender. The demo is linear, sure, and the 'choice and consequence' remains to be seen, but the foundations are solid. We’ve got crafting systems with multiple tiers, deep skill trees, and combat that actually feels weighty.
It’s rare to see a studio jump from top-down CRPGs to a cinematic Unreal Engine 5 shooter and not trip over their own robes. If Owlcat can keep the human element front and center while using these new tools to polish the rough edges, we might just have a masterpiece on our hands when it launches in Spring 2027.
But you can bet your last galactic credit I’ll be watching those AI developments like a hawk. Or a very suspicious wizard. Either way, stay curious, mates. The stars are looking a lot closer than they used to.
*This article was repurposed from original reporting by Robert Purchese at Eurogamer.*
Tags: The Expanse, Owlcat Games, Sci-Fi RPG, AI in Gaming, Mass Effect
Original article: Eurogamer