The Expanse: A Telltale Series serves not only as a reintroduction to the Telltale studio but as a return to James S.A. Corey’s excellent science fiction world of The Expanse. Telltale benefits from the pre-existing politics and world-building of the series, resulting in a strong return to form for a studio many thought lost.
That isn’t to say that players have to know the world to enjoy this new game, but a little familiarity goes a long way. It helps to know that The Expanse takes place hundreds of years into the future where humans have colonized Mars and the Outer Belt (including Ceres, Eros, and Pallas). While the game gives a lot of context about the tensions between Earthers, Martians, and Belters, leaving a tab on your phone open to The Expanse Wiki is beneficial to navigate some of the character names as well as pre-existing histories and conflicts. The game serves as a prequel to the Hugo Award-winning television series (currently streaming on Amazon Prime) and notably not the Hugo Award-winning book series.
Episodes 1 and 2 provide an excellent (albeit brief) introduction to the stakes and awe of The Expanse. These first two episodes bring back the well-scripted choice-based drama that helped Telltale make a name for itself during the 2010s.
Episode 1 Review: An Airlock In Media Res
The Expanse: A Telltale Series begins in media res, placing players right in the middle of the action. The opening finds protagonist Camina Drummer (reprised by fan-favorite actress Cara Gee from seasons 2–6 of the show) and the rest of the crew of the Artemis placing the ship’s Captain Garrison Cox in an airlock. The screen goes black as Drummer holds her hand over a red button, foreshadowing that things have gone astray and providing players with their first glimpse of the first major choice in the series: to space or to spare Cox.
The choice should give players of previous Telltale games a sense of familiarity. If anyone was concerned that Telltale would play it safe with its latest series, then the opening’s promise of mutiny should rest some concerns.
After the go-to-black, the game rewinds eight narrative hours and allows you to start the day as Drummer. The rest of the episode plays a little like Mass Effect-lite. The first episode balances getting to know the crew of the Artemis and space debris exploration. From a flirtatious close-combat encounter to the trope-y “maybe not everyone is who they say they are,” character encounters leave breadcrumbs that are sure to excite and intrigue.
The Beauty of Exploring Space Ruins
What struck me throughout the playthrough was how much interaction with the crew I had during space exploration. Most of my 90-minute playtime was spent floating around the remains of Earth’s United Nations Navy’s (UNN) battleship Urshanabi. The effect of the now destroyed ship, the remains of its crew, and the floating debris is as haunting as passages from Corey’s books. The world of The Expanse is dangerous, at times brutal, and often awe-inspiring.
Floating around the Urshanabi, Drummer felt small as we navigated abandoned rooms containing ephemera and the vacuum of space between the ship’s shattered pieces. Drummer’s comments on these objects as they relate to Earther, Martian, and Belter politics and culture. Some of these objects scattered across the ship’s ruins would later prove useful or significant. Each crew member is a quick comm call away (when prompted) as Drummer sees an object, picture, or tool that reminds her of them.
Episode 1 may open with its “big” choice, but the subtle little choices linger.
Episode 2 Review: Collectible Choices
The second episode builds carefully on the first. The opening portions doubled down on exploring and scavenging space debris from multiple ships. Here, again, is where I spent most of my 90 minutes with this episode. Exploration and object collection can take the player to each corner of the ruins, but this isn’t a mere collectible scavenger hunt. The objects found become choices themselves.
Many of Episode 2’s choices depend on a kind of gift-giving mechanic. Calling them fetch-quests doesn’t quite feel appropriate as the objects being sought after are not always named. I should note that some objects (what I am calling gifts) are specifically named side-quests. Regardless, all of these objects are well worth seeking out.
A Note on Side Quests in The Expanse: A Telltale Series, Episode 2
Having these objects in Drummer’s possession reveals choices that are easily missed. It wasn’t until after my playthrough, when the game shows how your choices compare to other players by percentage (a staple from previous Telltale games), that I realized that handing these gifts over or withholding them was even an option, creating a kind of three-prong choice: 1) Don’t find the object, 2) Find it and gift it (often revealing new dialogue options), or 3) Find it and do not surrender it.
This newer approach to choices feels more natural than a constant series of binaries. Of course, the binaries remain, like: Do you choose to listen to the Martian’s music or not? Or, do you choose to trust the doctor in a particular moment or not? As always, these choices carry consequences worth suffering and opportunities worth pursuing.
Final Thoughts on The Expanse: A Telltale Series, Episodes 1 & 2
The Expanse is in excellent hands. Telltale has crafted a wonderful opening duology for its comeback story in episodes one and two. Episode 1 sets the stage, either introducing newcomers or reminding readers and viewers of The Expanse what is at stake when one messes up in this world. Episode 2 keeps the momentum going by laying the groundwork for relationships between crewmembers and the player. I’m a relative newcomer to the IP myself, and I’ve found the story to be inviting thus far.
Of course, the Telltale games have not always been everyone’s cup of tea. But for fans of the developer’s past work, you’ll be happy to know this is a Telltale game through and through. The episodes may be briefer than in the past—at 90 minutes each so far—but they showcase some of the best writing, choices, and animations that the studio has offered to date. Gone may be the walkers and the fairy tale creatures (for now!), but The Expanse: A Telltale Series promises scavengers, politics, and even space pirates. I can’t wait to play episode three.
