In the course of the interval between Telltale Video games’ closure and rebirth below LCG Leisure, we’ve seen a number of video games attempt to copy its signature fashion of journey sport with no actual success (just like the mediocre Tales from the Borderlands sequel). Fortunately, with assist from Life Is Strange: True Colors developer Deck 9, Telltale is again with its first episodic journey sport since 2019’s The Strolling Useless: The Closing Season within the type of The Expanse: A Telltale Sequence. It serves as a prequel to the hit Syfy and Prime Video tv collection and is a robust begin to a brand new period for the studio.
What’s most noticeable about The Expanse: A Telltale Sequence Episode 1 is how instantly it seems like a correct Telltale Video games product. You’re rapidly into the thick of issues taking part in as Carmina Drummer (as soon as once more voiced by Cara Gee), making dialogue decisions, and attending to know your crew mates on a scavenger ship. What’s good is that Deck 9 doesn’t fall into the entice that many later Telltale Video games titles did, which was to really feel like they performed themselves. You even have to maneuver Carmina round from space to space with a purpose to transfer the plot ahead, and that offers you a correct probability to really feel such as you’re contained in the world and might discover at your personal leisure, which is definitely a thrill for followers of the sci-fi collection.
Being in area, this makes exploration all of the extra fascinating each inside and out of doors the ship’s partitions. You’re capable of reap the benefits of the shortage of gravity and truly stroll up partitions, which is the place plenty of well-hidden salvage has been positioned. The primary episode has the participant looting a ship that was beforehand attacked by pirates, and the true spotlight is the sense of exploration. Every room is stuffed with transmissions, knowledge logs, and gadgets to be discovered. Like an old-school journey sport, you’ll get extra out of the expertise the extra thorough you’re with trying round. You can even use thrusters to fly across the totally different components of the ship, which is a refreshing sense of mobility.
Being that The Expanse: A Telltale Sequence is the studio’s first correct foray again, it’s solely becoming that you simply get to expertise the entire developer’s hallmarks. Huge selections, full with reminders that your relationship has modified with a personality? After all. Fast-time occasions to find out whether or not you get by a number of motion scenes unhurt? You bought it. Effectively-written verbal exchanges and compelling characters? It’s all right here. It was very easy to be skeptical concerning the Telltale branding being again, however The Expanse undoubtedly earns it. If you happen to don’t comply with gaming information, you’d by no means have guessed that a lot drama had occurred for the reason that studio’s heyday of placing out 3-4 video games a yr.
The primary episode, titled “Archer’s Paradox,” is a bit gradual to begin, however it is sensible as an introduction. There’s not a lot motion right here till close to the tip of the episode, however the sense of hazard and dread you get from exploring the attacked ship principally makes up for it. Whereas I want there was extra when it comes to substantial decisions to make (there are solely actually two of any significance), it would probably ramp up as episodes are launched each two weeks.
The Expanse: A Telltale Sequence Episode 1 is a robust begin for the collection and this iteration of Telltale Video games. Followers of the present will take pleasure in attending to study extra about Drummer’s backstory, and Cara Gee delivers a robust efficiency that meets expectations. The next episodes will decide if the story is ready to repay on its promising begin, however the manufacturing high quality and polish are clearly an enchancment from Telltale’s previous titles.
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Feels true to the texture of the collection
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Likeable characters
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Exploring spaceships is plenty of enjoyable
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Little when it comes to motion
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Just some decisions are made
Disclaimer: Our The Expanse: A Telltale Serie Episode 1 evaluation is predicated on a PS5 copy offered by the writer. Reviewed on model 1.000.001.