Hands-on impressions from a recent demo of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn reveal that the upcoming sci-fi title leans heavily into cover-based action reminiscent of Xbox 360-era games. Developed by Owlcat Games, the project is an adaptation of the sci-fi franchise set between Season 1 and Season 2 of the television series.
Setting and Narrative Premise
The narrative takes place within the timeline of the show's first two books, starting around the Phoebe incident. Players control a protagonist operating alongside her twin, J, on a mission to infiltrate a space station owned by the Protogen corporation. The objective involves wiping digital evidence of a recent shipjacking from corporate servers while navigating hostile territory.
According to lead level designer Natalia Turina, the team placed heavy emphasis on environmental detail to make the world believable for role-playing mechanics. However, preview feedback notes that early tasks focus heavily on administrative interactions and container logistics, which can slow down the pacing before combat breaks out.
Cover Shooting and Tactical Mechanics
Combat in Osiris Reborn combines traditional third-person cover shooter elements with flexible tactical options. Players can sprint between cover points, deploy combat drones, throw grenades, and swap weapons such as shotguns and assault rifles. The game features flexible skill trees, allowing specialization changes on the fly to adjust strategies during firefights.
While firefights offer familiar mechanical engagement, early impressions indicate that combat and character interactions feel somewhat dated. Companion dialogues and squad introductions currently lack the depth seen in classic action RPGs, and pursuit sequences involving experimental station mutants struggle to build real cinematic tension.
Development Timeline
Owlcat Games plans to include wider exploration, additional side missions, and deeper role-playing systems in the final release. The full game is currently scheduled to launch next year, leaving room for further refinements before its official release.
AI-generated editorial illustration; not a documentary photograph.
Source: The Expanse: Osiris Reborn feels incredibly Xbox 360, for better and for worse
SIGNAL TITANS
Leave a Reply