The Expanse: Osiris Reborn – Owlcat Pulls Mass Effect Moves in a Stellar Sci-Fi Adaptation

I’ll be honest: when I first heard Owlcat Games-known for their crunchy isometric RPGs like Pathfinder-were taking a swing at The Expanse, I was intrigued but also a little wary. TV adaptations in gaming have been a mixed bag, and The Expanse is basically holy ground for modern sci-fi. After seeing an hour of gameplay, though, it’s clear this isn’t a throwaway cash-in. If you love story-driven RPGs (or spent countless hours shaping your personal Mass Effect galaxy), what Owlcat is building with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn could actually be the genre evolution we’ve been missing.

• This isn’t just a retread of the show-the story is a new, parallel narrative embedded inside major events.
• Inspired by Mass Effect, you get to build your own character (Earth, Mars, or Belt), with choices that affect both plot and companions.
• Combat goes beyond cover shooters with environmental tactics, destructible surfaces, and squad coordination—plus the zero-G sequences are legit.
• The mature themes aren’t window dressing: expect hard-hitting storylines rarely seen in sci-fi games.

Breaking Down Owlcat’s Ambition: Why This Could Actually Work

The first thing that stands out is how much Owlcat is aiming for narrative depth. Instead of giving us a greatest-hits retelling of the TV show, Osiris Reborn starts you off as a Pinkwater mercenary on Eros—right as the crap hits the fan. This isn’t Holden’s story, but your own. The pitch is strong: your choices carry real consequences for you and your crew, influencing their loyalties and the bigger power shifts in the system. It’s very Mass Effect, but set inside the murky morality and politics that made The Expanse great: OPA, UN, Martian intrigue—the works. That’s a bold move, because fans expect smart, consequential writing, not checkbox morality systems. I’m cautiously optimistic; Owlcat’s track record on player choice (see Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous) is solid, so if anyone can pull it off, they can.

Yes, the Gameplay Really Takes Notes From Mass Effect (And That’s Good)

Instead of a clone, Osiris Reborn actually iterates on BioWare’s blueprints. You not only pick your background—Earthborn, Martian, or Belter—but your choice impacts everything from dialogue to available upgrades and how NPCs treat you. The hour-long demo showed squad tactics in action: issuing orders to companions based on their specialties (one’s a hacking expert, another a gunner), which reminded me of a more hands-on version of ME2’s squad commands. What Owlcat is adding, though, are chunky destructible environments and more dynamic use of cover. Shooting seems punchy, sure, but using the environment (blowing up bulkheads, venting airlocks) gives it an extra layer. The zero-gravity segments looked especially promising, mixing disorientation with Expanse-authentic physics. It’s not just set dressing; it shakes up how you approach combat and exploration.

Mature, Unflinching Storytelling—Not for the Faint of Heart

One thing Owlcat isn’t shying away from: The Expanse’s darkest chapters. The game tackles everything from class struggle to corporate brutality and even abuse—the sort of stuff most big-budget RPGs try to sand away for a wider audience. There are warnings for graphic violence, slavery, child abuse, and more. Some will say it’s too much, but The Expanse earned its reputation by not pulling punches, so it fits. The question is, can gaming handle these topics as thoughtfully as the novels and TV scripting did? If Owlcat gives these themes the nuance they deserve, it could push narrative gaming forward. If it turns into “grimdark for shock value,” I’ll be the first to call them out.

Exploration, Crew Dynamics, and How This Connects to Sci-Fi Gaming’s Legacy

Outside the shooting and story, Osiris Reborn is betting big on exploration—iconic locales like Ganymede, Ceres, Mars, and Luna are explorable, each dripping in the franchise’s gritty atmosphere. It’s not just sightseeing, either: the choices you make and who’s in your crew affect what secrets (and disasters) you’ll uncover. Romances are promised—no surprise, given ME’s legacy, but hopefully handled with The Expanse’s trademark realism, not just locker room flirting. The estimated 20-30 hour runtime is ambitious for this genre, matching massive RPGs rather than the “mini-campaign” curse most TV tie-ins get.

TL;DR – Can The Expanse Really Work as an RPG?

Honestly, I walked into this expecting a thinly-veiled cash grab, but left thinking Owlcat might actually deliver the Mass Effect successor many of us have craved—one with the politics, darkness, and character focus that define The Expanse. If they stick the landing on narrative choices and mature topics, this could become the sci-fi RPG benchmark for the next generation. Crucially, it looks like a true game for fans, not just an excuse to slap a logo on box art.