The Expanse: A Telltale Series - What We Know So Far
While Gamescom 2022 had plenty of surprising things, like an appearance from Hideo Kojima and long-awaited information for "Dead Island 2," one surprising thing was the sheer number of space-related games discussed. In fact, ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti delivered a message to Gamescom 2022 from the International Space Station acknowledging just how many space-related video games were coming out. One game set in space discussed at Gamescom was "The Expanse: A Telltale Series." Based on the popular TV show of the same name, the Telltale game promises to explore the backstory of one of the game's most beloved characters.
The game is being developed by Deck Nine, the studio behind many of the games in the wildly popular "Life Is Strange" series. Luckily, for fans that are excited about the game, publisher Telltale Games released quite a bit of information to get excited about such as gameplay and a release window, and there's even a world of lore to jump into prior to the game's release.
What's the release date for The Expanse: A Telltale Series?
While there's not an official release date for "The Expanse: A Telltale Series," there is a release window: Summer 2023. The tentative season was announced in the World Premiere Trailer at Gamescom Opening Night 2022.
Fans had been waiting quite a while for any kind of information on a release. In fact, the game was originally announced back in 2021 at The Game Awards. There wasn't too much information at the time, except that the game was actually a prequel of sorts to the TV show "The Expanse" that ran from 2015 to 2022, ending with its sixth season. According to IMDb, the show is about a group of people who have to stop a threat to the Solar System. According to Game Director Stephan Frost during the World Premiere Trailer in 2022, the world of "The Expanse" is perfect for storytelling because there's so much to explore.
Is there a trailer for The Expanse: A Telltale Series?
There are multiple trailers for "The Expanse: A Telltale Series." In the original 2021 trailer, players were introduced to the game through the main character, Cammina Drummer. In the trailer, an unknown person explained the rumors about her character, saying that she doesn't hesitate to take out those that stand against her. In the end, she seems to take out the unknown character as well.
Cammina actually appears in the TV show, played by Cara Gee who's also reprising the role for the game. The World Premiere Trailer introduced the idea that players would need to make decisions as Drummer, and Gee talked about how the character is a bit different since the game takes place earlier than the show: "It's actually been a really interesting thing as an actor to explore some of her more vulnerable sides that, by the time we meet her in the series, they've been cauterized."
What's the gameplay like in The Expanse: A Telltale Series?
"The Expanse: A Telltale Series" is a story-driven adventure narrative that's set in space, so there are interesting things to get used to, like zero gravity. At times, players will be using these mechanics to explore parts of a broken ship in space, and at others, they'll be pulled into a story where they'll have to make major decisions. Part of the gameplay even involves scavenging around the dead as you traverse abandoned environments.
There's also a theme of finding out the truth of Drummer's character through the game. This was also addressed with dialogue from Drummer at the very end of the original announcement trailer while she was talking about the truth of her own self: "Truth is truth. How you deal with it is up to you." In an interview to Game Informer, the CEO of Telltale Games, Jamie Ottilie, explained that Drummer was chosen as the character from the TV show to focus on because of the lack of backstory, so players can try and find the truth to her in Deck Nine's version of her past, which isn't cannon.
According to the game's official website, the choices the player makes will impact the story. However, the site doesn't go so far as to explain what kind of decisions need to be made or how the choices will actually impact the game further than the "fate of the ship."