The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 3 review - Crashing back down
After finding the previous episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series to be setting the series into an upward trajectory, Episode 3 sadly drags the game back down again.
Revealing a story that essentially retreads many of the same thematic and narrative ideas from the first arc of the TV show, Episode 3 also features the shortest runtime yet, which once again ends just as the drama begins to get interesting.
GGRecon Verdict
Episode 3 of The Expanse: A Telltale Series is the lowest point of a series that's really struggled to keep up with itself - with the only solace being that it's short enough to not feel like a complete waste of time.
While its choice-based gameplay is starting to feel meaningful, it's all dragged down by a narrative hook that's already been presented arguably better in the show and dull gameplay. Sadly, my confidence in the direction of the series is not going in a positive direction anymore - and most of my thoughts are looking back on what could have been, rather than ahead on what could happen next.
Confined to quarters
Click to enlargeEpisode 3 of The Expanse: A Telltale Series sees Drummer and the crew arriving at a dead and uncharted space station inside an asteroid, having finally reached the coordinates they found back in the first episode.
It wastes no time dropping you into the action, either, with you and Maya setting off to explore the station within the first five minutes, as the rest of the crew stay behind as lookouts.
The majority of the one-hour episode is spent exploring the station as you attempt to turn on the power and venture deeper, while also learning about what happened to the inhabitants. For fans of The Expanse, this entire section is one of the better parts to come out of this series so far from a lore standpoint, exploring the roots of the divide between Inners and Belters, and how quickly those on Earth stopped seeing their counterparts in space as equals.
The entire section essentially sees you walking around and scanning items for lore tidbits while you occasionally chat on the coms with Maya about your final decision from the last episode, and piece together what happened to the residents of the station.
While some of the background fare is interesting to explore here, it becomes obvious that the actual gameplay of The Expanse doesn't have much going for it, with much of the runtime spent walking down linear corridors.
Unlike previous episodes, there are no open-ended sections to break up the monotony of it, and even the creepy atmosphere and expansion of the lore aren't enough to really make it all feel worth it.
- If you're looking to five into a fantasy RPG, check out our Baldur's Gate 3 review
Out of ideas
Click to enlargeThe latter half of this episode is where things pick up, with revelation after revelation that sees the stakes and drama get higher and higher, culminating in a moment that genuinely took me by surprise.
However, much of this lead-up fell flat for me, as there's not much of a new take on The Expanse presented here, instead retreading the same plot points and themes that the first few books and seasons of the show explore in far more depth. Even the ending - which is where the game finally had most of my attention - was contextualised in this rehashed narrative arc, dulling even the most exciting idea the developers had.
For a game set in the vastness of space, it makes the universe feel paper thin, akin to all the Star Wars spin-offs that can't pull away from lightsaber duels and the same conflicts we've seen over and over.
On a slightly more positive note, some of my choices from previous episodes are finally starting to be felt on the screen, and despite my issues with the final half of this episode, some of the outcomes did feel like they were earned from my decisions. It's hard to muster up too much excitement about this though, but it may be a sign that the final episodes have something more personal in store.
- See if FromSoftware still have it with our Armored Core 6 review
The Verdict
Click to enlargeEpisode 3 of The Expanse: A Telltale Series is the lowest point of a series that's really struggled to keep up with itself - with the only solace being that it's short enough to not feel like a complete waste of time.
While its choice-based gameplay is starting to feel meaningful, it's all dragged down by a narrative hook that's already been presented arguably better in the show and dull gameplay. Sadly, my confidence in the direction of the series is not going in a positive direction anymore - and most of my thoughts are looking back on what could have been, rather than ahead on what could happen next.
2.5/5
Reviewed on PC. Code provided by publisher.
