The Expanse: Osiris Reborn by Owlcat Games

Sylas said:

never watched/read any of this series so it's all new to me. So this is just a new Mass Effect for me, which is great.

Click to expand...

Fun fact : the Expanse books began as a project for a MMORPG inspired by Mass Effect. They were writing backstory and lore and figured they might as well turn that into a series of books, and it worked out pretty well.

Caliane said:

I saw someone state there is no space ship combat.

Click to expand...

Not in the traditional sense, no. The Owlcat interviewee said that ship combat will be similar to Mass Effect insofar that it can happen but it will be more abstracted and driven by narrative choices.

Also -- I don't know a whole hell of a lot about The Expanse outside of a couple seasons of the show that I watched years ago. Anyway, I don't remember a lot of the details, but the lore seemed to be almost exclusively human-centric with some sort of alien/mythical thing in the distant backdrop.

Is that accurate?

Grabbit Allworth said:

Not in the traditional sense, no. The Owlcat interviewee said that ship combat will be similar to Mass Effect insofar that it can happen but it will be more abstracted and driven by narrative choices.

Also -- I don't know a whole hell of a lot about The Expanse outside of a couple seasons of the show that I watched years ago. Anyway, I don't remember a lot of the details, but the lore seemed to be almost exclusively human-centric with some sort of alien/mythical thing in the distant backdrop.

Is that accurate?

Click to expand...

Yes, unless the game takes place over the course of many years (show seasons), it looks the game will all take place between Earth, Mars, and the Belt (including Saturn/Jupiter moons).

In the interview they said that the game will take place (or at least start) around the time of the Eros incident, which is season 2. There is Protomolecule all throughout the show but the first two seasons are almost all humans fucking with it. It's actual agenda doesn't open up until mid season 3 and even then, it's still a backseat to the various human conflicts/politics. Elaborating any more about the Protomolecule would be too spoilish and I don't want to ruin a really cool part of the show (which is the best Sci-fi TV since Babylon 5).

Too much brown

That gunplay where he's just sitting out of cover taking shots looked like complete dogshit. This is going to be Mass Effect, but without all the cool biotics. And at least Mass Effect has the excuse of being released 15+ years ago as a reason for average gunplay.

Kirun said:

That gunplay where he's just sitting out of cover taking shots looked like complete dogshit. This is going to be Mass Effect, but without all the cool biotics. And at least Mass Effect has the excuse of being released 15+ years ago as a reason for average gunplay.

Click to expand...

Good god, Mass Effect was 18 years ago....

While they haven't made a game like this before, I do have hope for this game as
- They are excellent at making intricate RPG systems with loot that fits them
- They are good at making characters and stories tied to them
- They are good at world building including the stories to build them up as well as the visuals and making them interesting to explore

What I would love is an ARPG first /third person game like Mass Effect, but with more focus on the RPG systems and loot (which encourages exploration). Games in this genre has become more and more "simplified" to fit the lowest common denominator. Like they're supposed to be "RPGs" but the systems look like they're made for people who would be confused if anything except a +1 to stat was given. Hell, the Star Wars action "RPG" where the only loot was cosmetics with an extremely simplistic skill tree.

Outer Worlds 2 had some in terms of skills that actually matter somewhat, and a well designed world around them that let you progress in many different paths. But still, the RPG systems in terms of evolving companions is as barebones as it gets.

Other studios that make games like this probably don't have the dev creativity / ability to do what OwlCat can, but guess it depends on who they want their audience to be. The ones who have played OwlCat games before and are excited on what the studio can do with different visuals / action systems. Or "everyone", in which the majority would probably hate the complex systems, characters and worlds OwlCat can make, so they would have to dumb it down.

yeah, Idk on this.

The expanse is a tired franchise, that I for one, don't really care to see more of. The tv show was enough. and this isn't even the book stuff that comes later, its a side story mid season2 iirc.

no space magic. I like space magic in my sci fi.

Mass effect was popular. people do miss it. so I think it might have some draw if its done well. but... again, not for me really.

There's a ton of potential for unique enemies with the proto molecule though. It can be space magic.

Like some station not in the show that has totally unique abominations / effects due to proto molecule infection.

It's just such a shitty setting, considering the timeline they're placing it in. There are so many other things they could've done with it.

I generally love Owlcat for having a huge hand in reviving the CRPG genre. But I genuinely think this is going to be a $14.99 Steam sale bargain bin in 5 years type of game.

Ehh 100% disagree about being a bad setting ... or am I missing something?

It has near future tech, space marines, fractured politics story, and potentially "anything possible" aliens on stations / planets.

Mass Effect equivalent potential is huge? Obviously we will see, since it's their first non-RPG.

Given the limitations of the setting, this game is going to require exceptionally good writing and narrative.

Right now, both elements are exceedingly rare. All we can do is hope for the best.

If this is ass, maybe Exodus will scratch the itch.