Owlcat Games is leaving the comfort zone of isometric CRPGs and venturing into third-person action with "The Expanse: Osiris Reborn." Their ambitions are enormous, aiming for a blend of Mass Effect and a touch of Souls-like gameplay within the gritty sci-fi universe of the source material. After the first beta session, one thing is clear: the technical foundation is solid, but the core of what has defined Owlcat so far is wobbly.
The technology delivers, but the gameplay lags behind.
Owlcat has shelved its old engine and is delivering impressive results with the new graphics framework. The space stations are bursting with detail, the facial animations are a quantum leap for a studio, and the draw distance in space will make any fan's heart beat faster. The PS5 Pro provides visuals that can easily compete with AAA titles. But graphics aren't everything when the controls feel like you're trying to maneuver a Belter through honey.
The movement in the beta It feels sluggish. The cover system, the heart of every Mass Effect clone, suffers from noticeable input lag. When issuing the command to dive, you often get hit with a volley of fire before your character reacts. In a game that, according to Creative Director Alexander Michelin, is inspired by Souls-like titles, this is fatal. In critical situations, input latency means the difference between life and death – and currently, you're definitely getting your ass kicked far too often through no fault of your own.
When the atmosphere breaks down due to synchronization
A curious problem arises as soon as the characters open their mouths in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. The game should thrive on political gravity, grime, and the harsh reality of the Belt. Instead of rough, weather-beaten voices shaped by space dust and survival, Owlcat delivers a mix that sounds far too clean and watered down. The grit is missing. It breaks the immersion.
In the current version, the voice actors sound more like a support group for sensitive souls than hardened Belters on the Pinkwater 4. This lack of vocal edge robs the characters of any menace and makes the entire political gravity of the source material seem ridiculous. When tough guys on a mining station sound like they're discussing their feelings over tea, immersion collapses faster than a leaky airlock. The discrepancy between the grim visuals and the feel-good audio performance is a fundamental flaw that Owlcat urgently needs to correct before the 2027 release.
The illusion of freedom in a linear tube
Owlcat fans expect consequences. In "Pathfinder" or "Rogue Trader," a single wrong answer could bring down entire kingdoms. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn beta promises this depth but doesn't deliver. There's this one moment in the mission: Do I sneak out or arm the station? A classic Owlcat dilemma. The disappointment comes quickly. Both paths play out almost identically. The routes are the same, the outcome remains unchanged, only two lines of dialogue vary.
This isn't world-building, it's just a facade. A studio that has built its reputation on complex decision-making processes can't be satisfied with the mere illusion of freedom of choice. While the studio talks about meaningful decisions, all I see in the current beta is an extremely linear shooter with RPG elements. If the final version doesn't offer significantly more branching paths, Owlcat will lose its most important unique selling point to mere irrelevance.
Craftsmanship is convincing, but the soul is still missing.
The combat system itself has potential. The interplay with squad members, the tactical commands like blowing up environmental objects, and the different classes (Gunner or Hacker) feel good. There's plenty of action, and the upgrades at the workbench demonstrate that the RPG DNA is definitely present in the systems. You can tell that Owlcat understands the genre, but they're not quite ready to fully unleash the possibilities at this early stage.
A noticeable drawback in the current beta is the lack of DualSense support. In a modern action RPG, it feels downright sterile when your hands are completely unresponsive. This lack of haptic feedback truly highlights how crucial finely tuned triggers and vibrations have become for immersion.
Currently, "The Expanse: Osiris Reborn" feels like a game playing it safe. It competently copies the Mass Effect formula but forgets to inject its own unique character. Exploring Pinkwater 4 is fun, the NPCs bring the world to life, and the lore potential is immense. But without the necessary grit in the script and without genuine player freedom, the project remains a polished but generic sci-fi shooter.
Hit or miss?
Owlcat Games still has a lot of work ahead of it. Technically, "The Expanse: Osiris Reborn" is absolutely impressive and represents the studio's biggest leap forward to date. Anyone yearning for a modern Mass Effect replacement will find the foundation here. However, without a radical overhaul of the tone and voice acting, and the courage to offer genuine, painful choices, the game will spectacularly fail to meet the high expectations of its core fanbase.
My prediction: Owlcat will turn things around in terms of gameplay mechanics, but the lack of atmosphere could become a lasting flaw. Anyone expecting a second "Pathfinder" in space will be disappointed by the beta. Those looking for a stylish action shooter with RPG elements should keep an eye on this title. Currently, it's a solid game, but still far from being the promised masterpiece.
Co-writer: Niklas Bender
