A Telltale Series Episode 1-3 Review – A New Frontier

The Expanse: A Telltale Collection 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 sort of expertise Telltale Video games was as soon as recognized for.

To make certain, the entire normal parts are there. The episodes had decisions that impacted the end 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 the very best plan of action could be, and I needed to step away with a purpose to weigh the results of what I might do.

However on the recreation’s core, The Expanse wasn’t one other cookie cutter providing which might mix in seamlessly with Telltale’s many different titles. And for probably the most half, that’s an excellent factor.

Granted, this received’t be readily obvious. The narrative kicks off very similar to every other Telltale recreation, with gamers taking the function 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 have to navigate her manner by way of a brutal contest with pirates, private relationships and allegiances along with her crew, and ghosts from her previous with a purpose to use this bounty to etch out a greater life for herself.

It’s pretty commonplace stuff for a Telltale title, but it surely’s written and balanced surprisingly properly no matter how a lot expertise gamers have with the property. Longtime followers could have a blast exploring Drummer’s previous and attending to mildew 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.

The identical may be stated of the gameplay. Outdoors of dialogue-driven parts of the sport, gamers are tasked with exploring wrecked ships and navigating hostile areas with out being detected. These segments characteristic objects which may show worthwhile afterward in addition to collectibles tied to facet missions, and taking the time to collect all of them can imply the distinction between having a bevy of decisions or very restricted choices throughout sure parts of the sport.

This solely makes up a small portion of the title nevertheless. 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 the right way to clear up issues that crop up, and gamers might be compelled to observe the end result of their choice for higher and worse.

In contrast to previous Telltale titles, The Expanse isn’t as clear reduce with which selections or actions could have long-term penalties. Whereas collection like The Strolling Useless would bombard you with notifications about folks remembering what you stated or being disenchanted by one thing, this recreation solely does so throughout extra intense selections and scenes. Smaller interactions and decisions received’t be met with clear penalties, and may not change into essential till a lot later within the collection.

It’s removed from good, and there are nonetheless cases the place decisions really feel inconsequential to the broader plot. Total although, this new strategy serves so as to add pressure 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 cope with its penalties.

I used to be even hesitant to right away soar on new selections because of the thought {that a} short-term benefit might find yourself biting me laborious in a later phase.

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 model as an alternative of Telltale’s former cel-shaded aesthetic. It really works properly for the tone and elegance of the sci-fi collection’ universe, and serves to present the sport a extra trendy attraction that feels at dwelling on trendy consoles.

It’s a decent selection, and the brand new visuals assist to maintain it from feeling too just like the studios’ previous works. On the similar 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 a bit of hit and miss. Whereas Cara Gee does a terrific job in her return efficiency for Camina Drummer, different performances can warble between spectacular and satisfactory. The sound results and rating observe 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 larger heights.

When taken collectively, all of those parts create a recreation which is acquainted but totally different from all the pieces that got here earlier than it. It’s not an ideal expertise, but it surely’s strong sufficient to do proper by its supply materials and draw gamers into the partaking narrative it’s piecing collectively.

The Expanse isn’t the very best Telltale-style expertise ever made, but it surely’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 supply transferring ahead. Optimistically, they’ll be capable of construct off of this to complete the collection sturdy and set about beginning a brand new age that surpasses the heights of their earlier works.

Concerning the writer

Keenan McCall

Keenan has been a nerd from an early age, watching anime and taking part in video games for so long as I can bear in mind. Since acquiring a bachelor’s diploma in journalism again in 2017, he has written hundreds of articles protecting gaming, animation, and leisure subjects galore.