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 sequence, it hit me that this isn’t the identical type of expertise Telltale Video games was as soon as identified for.

To make certain, the entire standard parts are there. The episodes had selections that impacted the result of a longform narrative, and temporary 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 most effective plan of action can be, and I needed to step away in an effort to weigh the implications 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 factor.

Granted, this received’t be readily obvious. The narrative kicks off very like another Telltale recreation, 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 assert 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 way over they bargained for. She’ll then must navigate her approach via 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 can 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.

The identical will 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 priceless in a while 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 selections 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 choices primarily based on the occasions they watch unfold. These can vary from choosing which line of dialogue she makes use of to deciding the way to clear up issues that crop up, and gamers can be compelled to observe the result of their choice for higher and worse.

Not like previous Telltale titles, The Expanse isn’t as clear reduce with which choices or actions can have long-term penalties. Whereas sequence like The Strolling Lifeless would bombard you with notifications about folks remembering what you stated or being upset by one thing, this recreation solely does so throughout extra intense choices and scenes. Smaller interactions and selections received’t be met with clear penalties, and won’t change into essential till a lot later within the sequence.

It’s removed from good, and there are nonetheless situations the place selections really feel inconsequential to the broader plot. General although, this new method 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 take care of its penalties.

I used to be even hesitant to instantly soar on new choices because of the thought {that a} short-term benefit might find yourself biting me arduous in a later section.

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 sequence’ universe, and serves to provide the sport a extra trendy attraction that feels at residence on trendy consoles.

It’s a decent alternative, and the brand new visuals assist to maintain it from feeling too much 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 just a little hit and miss. Whereas Cara Gee does an important 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 larger heights.

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

The Expanse isn’t the most effective 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 stable take a look at what the studio can supply shifting ahead. Hopefully, they’ll be capable to construct off of this to complete the sequence 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 1000’s of articles protecting gaming, animation, and leisure subjects galore.