Owlcat Games’ Expanse: Osiris Reborn marks the studio’s first major shift into a third-person action RPG, blending Mass Effect–style shooting and cinematic storytelling with deep RPG mechanics.

The game is framed as an evolutionary leap for Owlcat, aiming to deliver both engaging combat and meaningful player choice within a richly developed sci‑fi universe.

Early impressions suggest strong world-building and well-written companions, tempered by some concerns over floaty shooting and a fiddly cover system in the beta.

Environmental interaction extends beyond active party members, with non-active companions contributing to combat and environment manipulation, and some options producing visible visual or functional changes in the beta.

Initial PC beta previews praise narrative writing and companions, while noting room for improvement in gunplay feel and cover mechanics.

PS5 access to the closed beta requires higher-tier pre-orders, with a full release window set for 2027 across PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.

Pricing details for beta access hinge on Miller’s Pack/Collector’s Edition, aligning with the planned spring 2027 full launch.

Player choices significantly shape the plot and encounters, suggesting high replay value across multiple playthroughs of the demo segment.

Players control a customizable protagonist who explores, takes on side quests (not fully featured in beta), and makes dialogue-driven decisions with skill checks in Engineering, Persuasion, and Athletics.

The beta emphasizes branching, Mass Effect–style dialogue and decisive choices, such as whether to mobilize Pinkwater station against Protogen invaders, which affect combat flow and loot access.

Core combat blends cover shooting with gadgets and Exploit abilities, including a shock tether, nano-insects swarm, and wrist rocket for tactical variety.

While some previews call for combat polish, others commend the storytelling and branching narratives as standout elements that could define the final experience.