Hands On: The Expanse’s PS5 RPG Has Serious Potential, But Its Protagonist Is a Big Problem

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I got a chance to try out a demo of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn on PlayStation 5, and even from this early look, it’s obvious this sci-fi RPG could be something special.

If you’re unfamiliar, Osiris Reborn is inspired by The Expanse, a popular series of books and a highly-rated TV show loved by science fiction fans.

I’m not a fan, unfortunately, as I haven’t experienced the story through the books or the movie/show – though it does seem like something I’d enjoy.

I started the demo knowing almost nothing about the game beforehand. I just expected it to be similar to Mass Effect – a role-playing game focused on conversations, with action that involves shooting from behind cover in a third-person view.

Honestly, did this game live up to the hype? For the most part, yeah, it totally did. You can definitely see the Mass Effect influence in how it plays and how the game is put together. But what really sets it apart, in my opinion, is that it’s built on the awesome world of The Expanse. That existing lore just makes the whole experience feel special.

This is often described as ‘hard’ science fiction – stories that take today’s science and imagine how it might realistically develop over the next few centuries. This makes for a compelling video game concept, as many other sci-fi games focus on more imaginative ideas, like space magic or unusual aliens.

The demo is just over an hour long, and honestly, it doesn’t offer enough content to really form a lasting impression.

This demo focuses almost entirely on action, with very little conversation. It’s hard to get a sense of the game’s story or role-playing elements from this early part. What is clear is that the shooting feels surprisingly good.

The writing style is a little unusual, but Osiris Reborn’s realistic science fiction focus makes for surprisingly intense encounters—particularly when you’re exploring the vastness of space.

The demo starts you in the middle of the game’s second mission. You play as one twin, returning to your mercenary group’s base with your sibling, J, to explain a failed assignment.

The tough, armored enemies who initially attacked you have followed you back to the space station and are now launching a full-scale assault. In this beta version, you’ll battle your way through the invaders to escape.

The combat is fairly typical for the genre. You’ll find yourself using cover to replenish your shields, then stepping out to shoot down different kinds of enemies.

I’ve also got access to some cooldown abilities, but they feel pretty realistic, you know? Think different types of grenades, a missile launcher built into my arm, and ammo that just really stuns enemies – nothing too crazy.

These skills might not sound very exciting at first – many sci-fi games focus on fantastical powers, for good reason – but what makes them interesting is how they change the environment around you.

Osiris Reborn features really impressive environmental destruction. It’s surprising how well the game portrays damage when you’re blasting through a space station – almost anything seems to break and shatter realistically.

Everything in the environment – walls, windows, furniture, and even the low barriers you use for cover – can be destroyed with enough firepower. This creates exciting visual effects and realistic physics, making even early battles feel dramatic and impressive.

The game really leans into its focus on causing destruction, letting you direct your allies to use the environment to your advantage and change how the battlefield looks. This feature initially feels somewhat forced or pre-planned, but you’ll actually find yourself using it quite frequently.

The highlight of the demo, for me, was definitely the weightless experience. It was incredibly impressive.

These aren’t typical space battles where ships drift freely. Instead, you’re magnetically locked to the exterior of the space station while fighting.

Gameplay-wise, these fights are pretty similar to standard gun battles – you’ll still be hiding behind cover and rapidly pressing the R2 button to attack enemies. However, what really makes them stand out is the overall experience and atmosphere.

Without gravity, wreckage and debris create a stunning visual effect as they burst and float around. When enemies are defeated or knocked off surfaces, they simply drift away into space, and their blood forms slow, drifting trails.

I couldn’t help but smile at how well the sound was designed. You can clearly hear radio communications, but most other sounds are muted, as you’d expect in space. Instead of sharp cracks, gunshots have a deep, muffled ‘doomph’ like they’re happening underwater, and explosions sound the same way.

This genuinely feels like authentic space combat, and the developers deserve huge credit for the incredible visuals – it’s the best we’ve seen since games like Dead Space. Sci-fi fans will really appreciate this level of detail and commitment.

While the gameplay is decent, I was disappointed by the characters in the beta version – I just didn’t find them very relatable or likeable.

The game has a few problems, but the biggest one is the voice acting. While you get to design your main character and their twin, the demo only allows you to choose from pre-made characters – you can only play as a male or female lead.

I tested the beta with both character options, and while the female voice acting was generally good, the male voice was noticeably poor and really disrupted my enjoyment of the game several times.

The main character’s voice acting feels really off. He’s meant to be a tough, experienced mercenary, but he sounds like someone pretending to be one – like an amateur actor trying too hard to impress people.

It’s hard to describe the problem without you hearing it. You always want to be considerate of voice actors because you don’t usually know the whole story, but the main male character’s performance is really taking me out of the experience.

Honestly, the really frustrating thing is his twin is stuck with the same problem! And if anything, it’s even more annoying with his brother – his voice is higher, and he somehow manages to sound ridiculously cheerful while doing it, which just makes it worse!

You can have an optional scene at the station where J hears a rumor that he beat up some criminals, but it doesn’t fit his character at all – he’s a Saturday morning cartoon hero and would never consider using violence.

Ignoring some really strange casting choices, the writing isn’t great. It gets the job done and thankfully avoids excessive explanation, but it’s not particularly witty or insightful.

The twins are once again the weakest part of the game. While other characters stay focused, these two constantly interrupt the action with jokes and comments – and unfortunately, many of them aren’t very good.

OwlCat Games is usually great at creating memorable characters, but their latest work feels surprisingly generic. It’s like they went from crafting thoughtful stories in the style of classic Star Trek to writing a typical, formulaic Marvel movie.

There’s still a good amount of time to polish the game before it comes out in 2027, which is great. OwlCat has encouraged feedback, so I’m hoping the writers will see this and consider it.

Keep in mind that this beta version isn’t a perfect representation of the final game. It’s just a small preview of a much bigger experience. Seeing these issues in this carefully chosen section makes me worry about what the rest of the game might be like.

Look, I’m really excited about The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. It has a ton of potential, and honestly, I’m hoping it can fill the void left by Mass Effect – if it’s even half as good, I’ll be thrilled!

Have you checked out The Expanse: Osiris Reborn yet? Maybe you’ve even had a chance to try the beta? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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2026-04-23 22:39