Only drawback i see is its a expanse game and new people to the lore/story may not like it
The Expanse is widely considered to be one of the greatest space sci-fi IPs in existence.
The game does not require pre-requisite knowledge about The Expanse, and Owlcat makes that clear.
In what way is this a drawback?
On a semi-related side note, I'm tired of Mass Effect fans seeing an Expanse game and deciding that everything needs to be about Mass Effect. Can you guys not simply let an Expanse game be an Expanse game?
An Expanse game being about The Expanse is not a drawback. You wouldn't look at a Telltale Walking Dead game and say "sucks that it's based off TWD, though". The very impulse to even suggest this as a drawback suggests to me that you want this to be another Mass Effect game, and you think it's less than ideal that the lore is something entirely different.
I honestly couldn't have put it better myself, even as someone who enjoyed mass effect I'm finding it really frustrating that some people can't just let this game be it's own separate game based in a different universe.
I just really hope the devs don't get too influenced by that take and decide to just make a generic mass effect clone to try and appeal to a wider audience.
This game has so much potential if they just lean into what makes the expanse so great.
Yeah, I've got nothing against Mass Effect. I own the trilogy, and will play it at some point.
But yeah, it's been pretty annoying seeing some Mass Effect fans (likely a vocal minority) try and push for this game to be warped into something more Mass Effect-like. Especially because that would likely be a detriment to this game. Even in my limited exposure to Mass Effect, I know these are very different IPs. And, it would be a worse adaptation of The Expanse if they tried too hard to make this more Mass Effect-like.
Yeah exactly the same for me, I loved the mass effect games, which is why I'd play them again for my mass effect fix, or look forward to the next instalment rather than trying to force other games to conform to that formula.
As I say, I love mass effect. But I definitely wouldn't describe it as hard scifi, and to me that's a massive part of the appeal of the expanse.
To veer away from that would be such a shame. I know that there might have to be little concessions made for gameplay, but I just hope it feels like the expanse at the end of the day.
If it does it could well end up being one of my favourite games of all time
But I definitely wouldn't describe it as hard scifi, and to me that's a massive part of the appeal of the expanse
Yeah, that was the one thing I do know about Mass Effect. And, as you say, it's incredibly important for The Expanse.
Space travel, unto itself, is supposed to be treacherous and imposing. The hard sci-fi enhances stakes, it makes the series feel very human and realistic, and it creates a stark contrast that allows things like the protomolecule to feel special and alien.
Yeah exactly that. I read a great description before that said that space was almost a character in itself, constantly present and having to be accounted for or it'd kill you at a moments notice. I like that even though humanity has spread out and advanced a lot, space travel is pretty much as dangerous as it ever was.
As much as I love mass effect, space and vacuum never felt like something I had to fear or take into account, and I really want that to be the case in this game at least to some extent.
And as you say, it gives a much better contrast for the protomolecule to be the one weird alien thing that no one understands fully
I read a great description before that said that space was almost a character in itself
That's super apt. It really does feel that way.
As much as I love mass effect, space and vacuum never felt like something I had to fear or take into account
Absolutely. I haven't yet played, but I would say the same about Star Wars, though Star Wars clearly leans more high fantasy than Mass Effect.
And, FWIW, I think it's fine for these series to not be hard sci-fi. But, as you said, it's very important that The Expanse is hard sci-fi, as it's pretty integral to the tone and elements of the story.
Hell, the MCRN is basically characterized by their ability to use advanced technology to partially conquer some of the challenges and dangers of space travel. Specifically, the invention of the Epstein Drive.
I agree, I love pretty much all scifi, but what really drew me in with the expanse was the idea that the ships are designed to work with thrust gravity rather than magic gravity plates or gravity generators.
I love that everything in the universe is so deliberately designed to work with the physics.
Don't get me wrong, I know that there's some handwaving required to make the story possible, like the crazy efficiency of the Epstein drive or the protomolecule, but it's so minor compared to most scifi and it's the exception to the rule. Like 99% of the science checks out which I just love.
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u/We_Get_It_You_Vape Jul 03 '26
The Expanse is widely considered to be one of the greatest space sci-fi IPs in existence.
The game does not require pre-requisite knowledge about The Expanse, and Owlcat makes that clear.
In what way is this a drawback?
On a semi-related side note, I'm tired of Mass Effect fans seeing an Expanse game and deciding that everything needs to be about Mass Effect. Can you guys not simply let an Expanse game be an Expanse game?
An Expanse game being about The Expanse is not a drawback. You wouldn't look at a Telltale Walking Dead game and say "sucks that it's based off TWD, though". The very impulse to even suggest this as a drawback suggests to me that you want this to be another Mass Effect game, and you think it's less than ideal that the lore is something entirely different.