The Expanse: A Telltale Series is an episodic adventure game co-developed by Telltale Games and Deck Nine. Its current five episodes were released between July and September 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It is a prequel to Alcon Entertainment's television series The Expanse.
| The Expanse: A Telltale Series | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | Telltale Games |
| Director(s) | Stephan Frost |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Christopher Sica |
| Programmer(s) | Thomas Marnell |
| Artist(s) |
|
| Writer(s) | Jonathan Zimmerman |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | July 27–September 21, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editThe game is played from a third-person view. The player can move around various environments, and use point and click actions to interact with objects. Non-player characters (NPCs) can also be interacted with, triggering dialogue choices that change the trajectory of story events and will affect how other character view the player, helping to determine the ending of the game.
The player controls Camina Drummer, the XO of Artemis, an independent salvage vessel traveling across the Solar System before the events of the original series. The ship's crew scavenges abandoned starships for valuable parts and cargoes using zero gravity equipment, with the main story revolving around a wrecked ship with a highly valuable cargo, and the consequences of their decision to take it.
Development and release
editOn December 9, 2021, the game was originally announced at The Game Awards 2021.[1] On May 17, 2023, the first episode was announced for July 27, 2023, with four additional episodes to be released every two weeks thereafter.[2] On July 24, 2023, a bonus episode, "Archangel", featuring Shohreh Aghdashloo's character.[3], was announced at San Diego Comic-Con and it was released on November 20, 2023.
| Episodes | Release date |
|---|---|
| Episode 1 - Archer's Paradox | July 27, 2023 |
| Episode 2 - Hunting Grounds | August 10, 2023 |
| Episode 3 - First Ones | August 24, 2023 |
| Episode 4 - Impossible Objects | September 7, 2023 |
| Episode 5 - Europa's Folly | September 21, 2023 |
| Bonus Episode - Archangel | November 20, 2023 |
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 75/100[4] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 9/10[6] |
| IGN | 7/10[8] |
| PCGamesN | 8/10[7] |
| VideoGamer.com | 8/10[9] |
| CGMagazine | 8/10[5] |
The Expanse: A Telltale Series received generally favourable reviews, according to Metacritic.[4]
GameSpot praised the game's writing, narrative design, Cara Gee's performance as Drummer, character-driven gameplay, and visual animations, but criticised the zero-g movement and collectible mechanic.[6] Similarly, IGN also lauded Gee's performance, writing, and visuals but opined that it "struggles to find engaging mechanics outside of its dialogue scenes, relying too heavily on quicktime events and mediocre movement challenges."[8]
References
edit- ^ Clark, Nicole (December 9, 2021). "The Expanse: A Telltale Series is in development". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ Ivan, Tom (May 17, 2023). "Telltale's The Expanse episodic series launches in July". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Kaan, Serin (July 24, 2023). "The Expanse: A Telltale Series' bonus episode brings back fan favourite Shohreh Aghdashloo". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ a b "The Expanse: A Telltale Series". Metacritic. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ "The Expanse: A Telltale Series - Episode 1-3 (PC) Review - CGMagazine". CGMagazine. August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ a b "The Expanse: A Telltale Series Review – Choices That Matter". GameSpot. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ "The Expanse: A Telltale Series review - in space, no-one can hear you cry". PCGamesN. July 25, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ a b Handlen, Zack (August 4, 2023). "The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episodes 1-3 Review". IGN. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ "The Expanse: A Telltale Series review - to infinity and beyond". VideoGamer.com. July 25, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
Bibliography
edit- Lewis, Claire (June 1, 2023). "The Expanse: A Telltale Series Is A Love Letter To Fans Of The Franchise". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
