TL;DR – A little slow and sluggish in places, but it immediately brings you into this world and makes you want to explore every part of this story.

Disclosure – I paid for this game.

The Expanse Review –

Now it should be no surprise to anyone who knows me, that I adore The Expanse. I have absorbed all the novels, short stories, and the TV Show that might be one of the better adaptations out there. Now while it looks like we might have reached the end of the novels, and the TV Show for the moment, when I heard that there would be a video game adaptation, well, I had to check it out.

So to set the scene, before Camina Drummer (Cara Gee) ended up at Tycho Station and after she escaped Dawes (Stephan Frost) on Ceres, she was an XO on the Belter salvaging vessel Artemis under Captain Cox (Jeffrey Roark). They are coming up on the last score they ever need to take, with the ruins of the UNN Urshanabi before them. However, it may not be the simple heist it first appears to be.        

 For those who have never experienced the world of The Expanse, it is set in the future, where the human race has colonised the Solar System. Across the System, the powers of Earth and Mars try to exert influence as they outplay each other. In their quest to control the System, they exploit and abuse the people that live in the outer-systems called Belters for the asteroid belt where they first came together. Many belters have formed the OPA [Outer Planet Alliance], a quasi-terrorist, quasi-political, quasi-support network looking to support Belters. Camina used to work for the prominent OPA leader on Ceres, the main port in the Asteroid Belt but left after his actions.

This is also a Telltale-style game, the first such game we have seen in a long time since the titular company collapsed in 2018. This gameplay style is heavily narratively focused, where relationships are at the core of the experience. “Blank will remember this” is an oft meme-ed statement, but you can’t help but get engaged when it happens. These dialogue sections are generally interspaced with more on-rails walking sections to explore the world. Here, The Expanse works a little better than previous games, thanks to an Unreal Engine upgrade.

It is in the mechanics that the game works better but also shows some of the issues. Moving fully into the third dimension, we can walk around and explore the ships. Walking around, you can feel things control a bit sluggishly. I think that might have been because I was using a keyboard and mouse, as I have seen people using controllers move a little better. However, it is not the best introduction to the game right after that banger of the opening cinematic. It also takes a bit longer to load between sections than you would expect in a game like this.

However, once we get out into space, the world opens up as the game incorporates the weightlessness of zero gravity into the gameplay. Using magnetic boots to walk up walls and jetpack to boot around space were robust mechanical methods of bringing you into this world. I like that objects reacted as they would in zero-g though I just wish the best example of that was not a bunch of heads that will haunt my dreams tonight. There were some quick-time events, but they were not overused and worked in the game’s framework.

As this is a narrative game, how was the story? I really liked it. Basing the story around Camina and getting Cara Gee back to voice her is a fundamentally good idea. She gave one of the best performances in the show, and any more time we get with her is good. Setting this before season two of the show also allows us to discover more about the character while still being a good opening for someone who does not understand much about the more expansive universe and the coming events.

At the time of writing, we only had access to the first of the six episodes, but I do like what we already have. They quickly build a group of characters that you are instantly engaged with and want to learn more about. The performances are all fascinating and help bring you into this world. So far, the episodes are around 90 minutes each depending on how much exploring and reading you do, and that felt about right for a play session. Looking at how your choices align with everyone else’s is always fascinating. [SPOILERS] I 100% spaced Cox, and I can’t wait to see how that plays out and talk to those who let him live.   

In the end, do we recommend The Expanse: A Telltale Series? Yes, yes, we do. Now there is always a chance that they don’t stick the landing on the narrative, and we will come back to look at how the narrative went once all the episodes have been released. Look, I am just happy to be back in this world, and listening to Clinton Shorter’s opening title music for a new project brings me joy.    

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you played The Expanse?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the staff of The Expanse: A Telltale Series
Game Direction – Stephan Frost
Story – Jonathan Zimmerman, Andy Auseon, Iris Dauterman & Stephan Frost
Lead Designer – Christopher Sica
Lead Animator – Martha Murrie
Art Direction – Emerson Oaks & Anthony Jones
Cinematic Director – Alistair Ebinger
Audio Lead – Jeff Kurtenacker
Endineering Lead – Thomas Marnell
Environmental Lead – Tommy Spampinato
Cast – Cara Gee, Erika Mori, Isabel Chavez, Jeffrey Roark, Jihad Milhem, Ōmid Dastán Harrison, Lilli Hokama, Lavour Addison, Leah Watson & Ghandia O. Johnson with Shohreh Aghdashloo, Florence Faivre, François Chau, Chad Coleman & Stephan Frost   
Developer – Deck Nine
Publisher – Telltale
Episodes Covered – Archer’s Paradox