The Expanse: A Telltale Sequence on PC
After I rolled credit on the primary three episodes of The Expanse: A Telltale collection, it hit me that this isn’t the identical form of expertise Telltale Video games was as soon as identified for.
To make certain, all the ordinary components are there. The episodes had selections that impacted the result of a longform narrative, and transient gameplay segments broke up the dialogue dumps to maintain the expertise breezy. There have been even some scant moments the place it was unclear what one of the best plan of action can be, and I needed to step away in an effort to weigh the results of what I might do.
However on the sport’s core, The Expanse wasn’t one other cookie cutter providing which might mix in seamlessly with Telltale’s many different titles. And for essentially the most half, that’s a very good factor.
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Granted, this gained’t be readily obvious. The narrative kicks off very like every other Telltale sport, with gamers taking the position of Camina Drummer in her earlier years. After her captain Cox uncovers the scavenging alternative of a lifetime, her and her crew are despatched to say the trove for themselves earlier than it may be scooped up by different potential scavengers.
As soon as she finds it although, it turns into clear that it’s excess of they bargained for. She’ll then must navigate her manner by a brutal contest with pirates, private relationships and allegiances along with her crew, and ghosts from her previous in an effort to use this bounty to etch out a greater life for herself.
It’s pretty customary stuff for a Telltale title, however it’s written and balanced surprisingly nicely no matter how a lot expertise gamers have with the property. Longtime followers could have a blast exploring Drummer’s previous and attending to mould how she got here to level she’s at within the present and books. Newcomers, in the meantime, will discover an extremely approachable entry level for the broader franchise alongside a solidly-built narrative journey expertise.
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The identical might be mentioned of the gameplay. Exterior of dialogue-driven parts of the sport, gamers are tasked with exploring wrecked ships and navigating hostile areas with out being detected. These segments function gadgets which may show useful afterward in addition to collectibles tied to facet missions, and taking the time to assemble all of them can imply the distinction between having a bevy of selections or very restricted choices throughout sure parts of the sport.
This solely makes up a small portion of the title nonetheless. The remainder of the sport sees gamers tasked with serving to Drummer make selections based mostly on the occasions they watch unfold. These can vary from choosing which line of dialogue she makes use of to deciding find out how to remedy issues that crop up, and gamers can be compelled to look at the result of their choice for higher and worse.
Not like previous Telltale titles, The Expanse isn’t as clear minimize with which selections or actions could have long-term penalties. Whereas collection like The Strolling Useless would bombard you with notifications about individuals remembering what you mentioned or being disenchanted by one thing, this sport solely does so throughout extra intense selections and scenes. Smaller interactions and selections gained’t be met with clear penalties, and may not turn into vital till a lot later within the collection.
It’s removed from good, and there are nonetheless cases the place selections really feel inconsequential to the broader plot. Total although, this new strategy serves so as to add stress into the gameplay loop and lends extra weight to the alternatives a participant makes. Greater than as soon as, I used to be left on the sting of my seat because of a previous choice coming again to hang-out or assist me. A punch thrown in anger or revenge for a betrayal impacted my playthrough hours later, and I might solely do what I might to take care of its penalties.
I used to be even hesitant to instantly leap on new selections because of the thought {that a} short-term benefit might find yourself biting me arduous in a later phase.
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Then, there’s the audio and visible presentation. Visually, The Expanse follows the lead of Tales From the Borderlands 2 with a extra conventional graphical type as an alternative of Telltale’s former cel-shaded aesthetic. It really works nicely for the tone and elegance of the sci-fi collection’ universe, and serves to present the sport a extra trendy attraction that feels at house on trendy consoles.
It’s a decent selection, and the brand new visuals assist to maintain it from feeling too much like the studios’ previous works. On the identical time although, it does really feel much less distinct and may make the totally different environments one visits blur collectively.
Sound-wise, the sport is just a little hit and miss. Whereas Cara Gee does an awesome job in her return efficiency for Camina Drummer, different performances can warble between spectacular and satisfactory. The sound results and rating comply with swimsuit, with the extra spectacular bits of sound results and music accompanied by occasional audio glitches and ambient tunes which aren’t too memorable. None of that is deal-breaking although, and merely holds the title again from reaching higher heights.
When taken collectively, all of those components create a sport which is acquainted but totally different from every part that got here earlier than it. It’s not an ideal expertise, however it’s strong sufficient to do proper by its supply materials and draw gamers into the participating narrative it’s piecing collectively.
The Expanse isn’t one of the best Telltale-style expertise ever made, however it’s a commendable return outing for the studio. Longtime followers of the studios’ work or The Expanse’s supply materials will discover sufficient to be excited for what’s to return, whereas newcomers can get a strong take a look at what the studio can provide transferring ahead. Optimistically, they’ll be capable of construct off of this to complete the collection robust and set about beginning a brand new age that surpasses the heights of their earlier works.
Execs
Strong Story and Writing
Decisions are Extra Ambiguous and Significant
Gameplay Segments Are Satisfying
Cons
Hit or Miss Voice Performing and Audio
Visuals Are a Little Bland
Launch Date
July 27, 2023
Developer
Telltale Video games, Deck 9
Consoles
PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Copy supplied by Writer