With "The Expanse: A Telltale Series", the revived US developer Telltale Games is venturing into the next major series license. After "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones", the dark science fiction epic "The Expanse" is now venturing from the screen into the virtual world. But don't worry, this is not a mere retelling of the series. Rather, the game is set before the events of the series, which makes it interesting for fans and newcomers alike.
The main character is Camina Drummer, an officer on the spaceship Artemis, who is supposed to lead her crew of looters to the next raid. But what planned as a major coup ends in a medium-sized catastrophe. A thrilling and heartbreaking adventure that repeatedly confronts players with moral decisions. It is also remarkable how the game captures the atmosphere of the series and gives players the feeling of really being part of this fascinating world.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series - A graphical upgrade
Compared to previous Telltale games, "The Expanse" sets new technical standards. Both the interiors and the character models benefit from a significantly higher level of detail. The characters have very distinctive, slightly exaggerated facial features, while the surroundings appear very detailed and almost realistic. The Game creates thereby a very dense atmosphere. There are only minor drawbacks in the portrayal of facial expressions and emotions, which sometimes seem a little wooden... But that's how you know it, that's how you love it!
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Despite these minor "weaknesses", the graphic presentation is impressive overall and contributes significantly to the deep immersion. The detailed environments and character models, together with the atmospheric lighting and sound effects, create a world that invites you to explore and linger.
Decisions, decisions...
As usual with Telltale, the narrative and the characters are clearly in the foreground. The extensive dialog sequences have a first-class soundtrack and the different dialects underline the characters and their origins. The salt in the Telltale soup However, it has always been the decisions that have shaped history and above all the relationships of the characters shape and change each other. It is precisely this stylistic element that celebrates its comeback in "The Expanse" - and often causes headaches. Because in the dark world of science fiction, there is rarely a good or a bad solution.
It's these decisions that make "The Expanse: A Telltale Series" such a compelling experience. They give the game a depth and complexity that goes far beyond what you would expect from a traditional video game. Every decision has consequences, and players are often forced to choose between two evils, resulting in a strong emotional connection to the characters and the story. History leads.
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Weightless through space in "The Expanse: A Telltale Series"
Apart from the very well realized story and the decision-making options, "The Expanse" is an exciting, albeit somewhat superficial adventure. In between, for example, players have to survive action passages in reaction tests or search Artemis from the chase perspective in order to chat with their comrades. The most important new feature is undoubtedly the sections in zero gravity. Similar to the action adventure Deliver Us Mars the players float through space and explore the aforementioned spaceship wreck with the help of a flashlight, for example.
These weightlessness sections are not only a welcome change from the otherwise rather dialog-heavy gameplaybut also contribute to the atmosphere of the game. Players experience the feeling of weightlessness and the associated challenges at first hand. Whether it is about moving around in zero gravity or coping with the physical characteristics of space - these sections impressively convey the feeling, actually in space to be. They are another example of how "The Expanse: A Telltale Series" succeeds in immersing players in its fascinating world.
Telltale Games - Phoenix from the ashes
Telltale Games, known for its narrative adventure games, had to file for bankruptcy in 2018 and was shut down. The reasons for the decline were manifold and included excessive expansion, a series of poorly selling games and internal management problems. However, in August 2019, the company was acquired by LCG Entertainment, a company founded by industry veterans Jamie Ottilie and Brian Waddle. They acquired most of Telltale Games' assets, brands, technology and select licenses and planned to revitalize the company and relaunch some of its most popular titles.
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Since then, the revitalized Telltale Games has released new titles, including "The Expanse: A Telltale Series", and shown that the company's ability, Captivating narrative games to develop has not been lost. Ottilie announced at the time that some of the former Telltale Games employees would have the opportunity to return as freelancers for the time being, without naming specific names. He also expressed the hope that these freelance positions could be converted into full-time positions over time.
The rights to "The Walking Dead" are held by Skybound. "We are still in the evaluation phase, but our goal is definitely to continue some of the stories," Ottilie says cautiously at the time.
A comparison with "The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
"The Expanse: A Telltale Series" and "The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series" have many Similaritiesespecially in terms of the narrative mechanics and the player's freedom of choice. Both games place great emphasis on the development of the characters and the relationships between them, which are shaped by the player's decisions. In both games, the decisions made are often morally complex and have far-reaching effects on the course of history.
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Despite these similarities, there are also clear differences between the two games. While "The Walking Dead" is set in a post-apocalyptic world and focuses on survival in a world overrun by zombies, "The Expanse" is set in an expansive interstellar environment and focuses on the political and social tensions within a colonized solar system. In addition, "The Expanse" is technically more elaborate, with more detailed character models and environments, while "The Walking Dead" has a more comic-like graphic style.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series - An interstellar adventure with weight
"The Expanse: A Telltale Series" is an atmospheric Sci-fi adventurethat will delight both fans of the series and newcomers alike. With a dense atmosphere, interesting characters and moral decisions that repeatedly put players in dilemmas, Telltale is once again setting standards in the field of virtual storytelling. Despite minor "weaknesses" (I have already cautiously referred to them as such above) in the depiction of facial expressions and emotions The Expanse a must for all those who like to embark on interstellar adventures.