# The Expanse: Osiris Reborn Looks Like the Best Video Game Adaptation Ever

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-expanse-osiris-reborn-looks-like-the-best-video-game-adaptation-ever/
- Published: 2026-08-31T03:00:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-31T03:14:11+00:00
- Original publisher: Polygon
- Original article: https://www.polygon.com/expanse-osiris-reborn-gamescom-preview-2026/
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming

## Key points

- The Expanse: Osiris Reborn previewed at Gamescom 2026, resembling Mass Effect
- Set during seasons 1-3, playing an original character, not Holden
- Combines tactical shooting with non-violent, Hitman-style mission design

## Summary

Owlcat Games' upcoming third-person shooter The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, previewed for 90 minutes at Gamescom 2026, is drawing strong comparisons to the classic Mass Effect trilogy while showing signs of being an unusually faithful adaptation of James S.A. Corey's sci-fi universe. Set concurrently with the events of the show's first three seasons (or the novels Leviathan's Wake and Caliban's War), the game puts players in control of a custom character rather than Rocinante captain James Holden, though familiar characters can appear. The preview suggests the game captures both the combat feel and the political, dialogue-driven spirit of the source material, positioning it as a potentially standout licensed adaptation.

The demo covered a roughly 10-hour mark mission called "Beetle in the Anthill," set after the destruction of Eros Station, in which the player's crew works for paramilitary group Pinkwater to gather intelligence on rival faction Protogen at Ganymede station; the full game is expected to run around 30 hours. Combat mirrors Mass Effect's cover-based, squad-directed shooting and was described as punchy and tactical, but the reviewer spent over half an hour exploring before encountering any fighting, with the mission favouring non-violent, immersive-sim-style problem solving reminiscent of Hitman over straightforward action. Small design choices, such as the absence of a jump button, echo both Mass Effect conventions and in-universe logic around variable gravity and magnetised boots, reinforcing the sense of a carefully considered adaptation.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.