Are The Expanse and Exodus The True Heirs to Mass Effect?

Mass Effect fans have three major contenders for space-bound roleplaying on the horizon: the next official Mass Effect from BioWare, Exodus from ex-BioWare developers, and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a AAA-style game based on the Amazon Prime series. Each project aims to impress fans of the classic Mass Effect series, a difficult task given the nostalgic lens through which the original is viewed. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn fulfills a common fan desire for a BioWare-style RPG based on a popular sci-fi show. While The Expanse’s single star system setting might seem limiting, the universe of tiny colonies and orbital habitats, with human-designed and extrapolated tech, could be a godsend for developers building a Mass Effect-like game without needing to invent entirely new alien societies or logistics. This contrasts with Exodus, which bites off more, creating a universe closer to Dune or Foundation, with Earth long gone and humanity spread across thousands of stars, evolving and utilizing technology akin to magic. While both The Expanse and Exodus aim for the same audience, their distinct approaches offer room for both to thrive. Every post-Mass Effect game must offer something new, as simply replicating Mass Effect is impossible. For Mass Effect 5, the proposition is continued investment in an existing story after the Reaper War. However, the original trilogy, despite its beloved status, feels like a complete story, making a continuation a questionable pitch, especially given BioWare's recent track record. The "special sauce" for both The Expanse and Exodus lies in harnessing real scientific concepts as game modifiers. The Expanse focuses on making life in space feel correct, emphasizing details like zero-G combat. Players might cling to a ship’s hull with mag boots, experiencing shootouts with muted sounds, an eerie experience that highlights humanity’s precarious existence in space. A demo of The Expanse revealed some jankiness and distinctly unrefined controls, which is expected in a beta. However, the voice acting in cutscenes was described as "atrocious" and potentially final, raising concerns about the story's presentation. While the studio, Alim, has a good track record for writing, poor voice acting could overshadow an otherwise solid narrative. Despite these doubts, the game’s atmosphere, aesthetic, and theme of human persistence against annihilation in space are well-executed. Exodus, on the other hand, boasts grander ambitions by using relativistic time dilation as a narrative device. This means time passes faster on the home world than for the player traveling the galaxy, creating massive opportunities for choice-and-consequence narratives spanning decades or centuries. While the development complexity is terrifying, the RPG implications are delicious, allowing for decisions to play out on a massive, civilization-altering scale. Trailers for Exodus showcase an odd universe with talking bears, promising high potential if it all comes together. Ultimately, the current landscape offers exciting prospects for space RPG fans. BioWare's legacy continues to inspire other teams, and while new games may have early jankiness, as even the original Mass Effect did, the potential for compelling new experiences is significant.