Preview The Expanse: Osiris Reborn - A Mass Effect on steroids? Destructoid's early verdict

Step into the fascinating world of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, the upcoming action-RPG from Owlcat Games. Drawn from the novels and the TV series, this game has us playing as a Pinkwater Security mercenary who survives the catastrophe on Eros. No flamboyant hero here: just a regular good guy who will have to gather a team to counter Protogen and its botched experiments in a solar system that's had enough. So, what are Destructoid's first impressions of this potential hit?

The gameplay trailer, presented at the Xbox Partner Preview, already made us want to dive in. Picture dynamic zero-G firefights, between the walls of a run-down space station like Pinkwater Station. On the menu, tactical combat with varied equipment: a long gun, a sidearm, gadgets of all kinds, and mysterious "subsystems" to progress your hero. Time stops so you can give orders to your companions (a nod to old-school RPGs, to the early Mass Effect games, with a more nervy action layer). Choose your preset: hacker for ability control, or pure gunner, for pure fighting. The skill trees and workbench upgrades ensure solid progression, without too much grind.

For the journalist, the graphics under Unreal Engine are solid, with a credible setting - Ceres, Ganymede, Thoth Station in this case. The choice-driven narrative unfolds the story over 30 hours on the clock, accessible even without knowing The Expanse. The comparison with Mass Effect? It's grittier and less Hollywood space-opera, oppressive zero-G, Belters vs Inners stakes, and a sci-fi realism that fits the show more closely.

The closed beta started on April 22, to test the overall mechanics on an early-game mission. According to Destructoid, the game isn't optimized yet, but it's promising. Spring 2027 release, with Xbox Game Pass at launch. If you like narrative RPGs that hold up, grab the Miller's Pack for the beta! Osiris Reborn could be the long-awaited spiritual successor.