In an interview, the creative director behind the role-playing game confirms that Mass Effect inspired the entire team, but also reveals which parts of it were less popular.
One of the most exciting announcements at Summer Game Festundoubtedly came from the role-playing game experts at Owlcat. After grandiose CRPGs such as Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader, the studio is venturing into sci-fi role-playing games with modern 3D graphics and active shooter combat for the first time with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.
We had the opportunity to talk to the studio’s creative director about this new and completely different project for some time beforehand.That’s why we’ve revealed even more details about Osiris Reborn in a preview for you.
During the interview, we naturally talked about the inspiration for the new role-playing game. And how could it be otherwise: it was Mass Effect.
In the footsteps of Bioware
Owlcat’s Pathfinder games are often referred to as the true heirs of Baldur’s Gate After all, these role-playing games feel more like the first two parts of the trilogy in terms of mechanics and staging than Baldur’s Gate 3. Owlcat was already following in Bioware’s footsteps here, and with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, they are following those footsteps into the next era.
Bioware also turned away from old-school role-playing games with Mass Effect and ventured into a slightly more action-oriented system in a complex sci-fi universe. Owlcat is accordingly orienting its own first steps toward this success. Creative Director Alexander Mishulin says:
“Many of the team played Mass Effect during their studies, and those moments inspired and shaped us.”
Of course, it remains to be seen whether the team will deliver a classic similar to Bioware’s. But at least The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is still intended to be a real role-playing game despite its stylish graphics and action-packed battles, with the characters remaining the focus throughout.
No M35 Mako in The Expanse
Incidentally, the fact that Owlcat is emulating Mass Effect doesn’t mean that they’re copying it.Of course, they’re relying heavily on the established story surrounding the popular sci-fi series The Expanse when it comes to the universe. This means that, unlike in Mass Effect, you won’t encounter any alien civilizations.
In addition, the team has deliberately decided not to copy a controversial feature from the first Mass Effect in particular. According to Alexander Mishulin, there will be no counterpart to the infamous Mako in The Expanse.
“There won’t be any vehicles in the game. Even though I enjoyed driving around the planets and exploring everything.”
In Mass Effect 1, you could explore planets using a surface vehicle called the Mako. It was fun, but it certainly wasn’t one of the reasons why so many fans fell in love with Mass Effect. In The Expanse, you’ll explore the solar system, but you won’t be able to explore every corner completely freely. You’ll have to know where you want to go beforehand.
