The Expanse: Osiris Reborn vs The Outer Worlds

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only (Party-Based Combat)
• Setting: The Expanse Universe (Parallel to Books 1 & 2)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Release Window: TBA (Expected 2026)
• Unique Feature: Owlcat Games' first third-person action RPG, focusing on tactical real-time combat and zero-G scientific realism within the highly political setting of The Expanse.

• Perspective: First-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Halcyon Star System
• Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
• Unique Feature: A satirical, anti-capitalist RPG with a unique 'Flaw' system that adapts your character's stats based on your in-game failures, and a deep, choice-driven dialogue system.

• Crew: The player leads a crew of six companions, two of whom join the Captain in active combat. Their skills, personalities, and relationship dynamics are heavily developed throughout the campaign.
  Human (Earther, Martian, Belter)

• The Crew of the Unreliable: The player can recruit six unique companions who live on their starship, The Unreliable. Players can bring two companions with them at any time. Companions will fight alongside the player, provide commentary on quests, and grant passive skill bonuses. Each companion also has a powerful, unique special ability that the player can command them to use in combat.
  Varies (Human, Robot)

• Strategic Assets: Gained from completing missions. Temporary benefits like intelligence networks or auxiliary infantry used on the strategic layer.
• Ship Components: Resources and components used to upgrade and customize the frigate Gemini.

• Science Weapons: Six unique weapons hidden throughout the Halcyon system, each tied to a specific side quest.
• Lore Terminals: Computer terminals and data pads found in every location, filled with darkly humorous corporate memos that build the game's satirical world.

• Sci-Fi
• Hard Sci-Fi
• Action RPG
• Political Intrigue
• Zero-G Combat
• Narrative-Driven
• Space Opera

• Sci-Fi
• Action RPG
• Satire
• Hyper-Capitalism
• Player Choice
• Narrative-Driven
• Space Western
• First-Person

• Firearms: Varies (Rifles, Pistols)
  Standard projectile weapons. Ballistics and recoil are realistically simulated based on the atmosphere and gravity of the combat zone.
• Crew Abilities: Supernatural / Technical
  Unique abilities tied to the crew's specializations, used in real-time combat, such as disabling enemy systems or providing targeted fire support.

• Firearms: Varies (Pistols, Long Guns, Heavy Guns)
  A wide array of firearms, from pistols and assault rifles to plasma launchers and LMGs. Weapons are made by in-game corporations and can be modified with attachments.
• Melee Weapons: Varies (One-Handed, Two-Handed)
  A variety of close-quarters weapons, from blades to large hammers, which can be enhanced with elemental damage mods.
• Science Weapons: Unique
  A set of six unique, bizarre weapons with special effects, such as the 'Shrink Ray' (shrinks enemies), 'Gloop Gun' (causes enemies to float), and 'Mandibular Rearranger' (stuns and shuffles enemy faces).

• Vacsuits / Combat Armor: Armor is essential for survival in zero-G and low-atmosphere environments. Armor sets can be customized and built through looting or buying, providing defensive stats and possibly skill bonuses.

• Crew Uniforms: Players can customize the appearance of the Captain, including gender, hairstyle, and outfit. Premium editions include exclusive armor skins and casual outfits (like Miller's OPA Heavy Armor).

• Armor Sets: Players can equip hundreds of different armor pieces and helmets. While there is no transmog system, the wide variety of corporate-branded gear (Spacer's Choice, Auntie Cleo's, etc.) allows for extensive cosmetic mixing and matching.

Character progression is flexible, avoiding rigid classes. Players invest skill points into areas like science and persuasion, which are checked against skill levels (not RNG). The system is designed to be deeper than modern casual RPGs, with consequences for specialization. The level cap is 30. Players upgrade weapons, armor, and the Gemini ship.

The game is structured as a series of explorable zones and habitats (Ganymede, Mars, Luna) rather than a single open world. The core environment is the vastness of space, with tactical zero-G combat being a major component. The Gemini frigate serves as the mobile hub and base of operations.

• The Captain: Playable Protagonist
  A customizable mercenary employed by Pinkwater Security. The player chooses their political origin: Earther, Martian, or Belter.
• Zafar and Michael: Companions
  Two confirmed companions who join the Captain in the field, offering distinct specializations and contributing to dialogue and combat.

• The Stranger: Playable Protagonist
  A fully customizable colonist from the ship *Hope*. Their personality and skills are defined by the player, and they become the central figure in deciding the fate of the Halcyon colony.
• Parvati Holcomb: Companion
  A compassionate engineer from Edgewater who is an expert in mechanics and empathy. Her personal quest is a major highlight of the game.
• Vicar Maximillian 'Max' DeSoto: Companion
  An impassioned and conflicted Vicar of the Order of Scientific Inquiry, on a personal quest to find forbidden knowledge.
• Felix Millstone: Companion
  A rebellious, idealistic former box-loader who joins the player to fight against corporate oppression.
• Ellie Fenhill: Companion
  A pragmatic and cynical mercenary surgeon who joins the crew for profit and adventure.
• Nyoka: Companion
  A tough, hard-drinking monster hunter who is an expert on the creatures of the planet Monarch.
• SAM: Companion
  A sanitation and maintenance robot found on the *Unreliable*. After being repaired, it becomes a loyal companion that sprays acid on enemies.

• Operations
  Mini-campaigns consisting of multiple missions on a single planet or habitat. The goal is to progress through the operation with permanent consequences for losses.
• Distress Calls
  Optional missions found on the strategic layer. The player's choice to accept or reject them impacts their budget, resources, and faction relationships.

• Main Story Quests
  A cinematic campaign that follows the player's quest to save the Halcyon colony, forcing them to make major decisions that will determine the fate of the factions and the system.
• Companion Quests
  Deep, multi-part loyalty missions for each of the six companions. Completing these quests explores their personal backstories and unlocks their most powerful abilities.
• Faction Quests
  Optional questlines for the various corporations and groups in the game (like Spacer's Choice or the Iconoclasts). Player actions in these quests will raise or lower their reputation with each faction.

• Q: What is The Expanse: Osiris Reborn?
  A: It is a third-person action RPG set in The Expanse universe. It is a story-driven, party-based game focusing on tactical real-time combat and political intrigue, developed by Owlcat Games.
• Q: Is it a CRPG like Pathfinder?
  A: No. While developed by Owlcat, it is their first third-person Action RPG (ARPG) with real-time combat, marking a major technical and genre shift for the studio.
• Q: Does it have space combat?
  A: No. Player-controlled large-scale ship battles are excluded. Ship combat is handled through cinematic cutscenes influenced by player choices and ship upgrades.
• Q: Who is consulting on the physics?
  A: Former NASA astronaut and ISS commander Leroy Chiao consulted with the developers to ensure the zero-G and zero-atmosphere combat adheres to scientific realism.

• Q: What is The Outer Worlds?
  A: It is a single-player, first-person action RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, the original creators of Fallout. It's set in a satirical, hyper-capitalist space colony and is heavily focused on player choice, branching dialogue, and companion characters.
• Q: Is it an open-world game?
  A: No, it is not a single seamless open world. It features a series of large, separate 'open-zone' maps on different planets that you travel between using your spaceship.
• Q: What is the 'Flaw' system?
  A: It's a unique mechanic where the game offers you a permanent, negative debuff (a Flaw) based on your gameplay, such as a fear of robots after fighting them a lot. If you accept the Flaw, you immediately get a free Perk point, allowing for unique role-playing.
• Q: Is it like Fallout: New Vegas?
  A: It shares a lot of the same DNA. It was led by the same directors as Fallout, and features similar dark humor, satirical themes, faction reputation systems, and deep, choice-driven quest design.

• SPECULATIVE PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. As official specs were not provided, these are hypothetical projections for a demanding third-person ARPG built on Unreal Engine 5.
• Laptop Performance Note: A title like this would demand a high-performance gaming laptop. The game's required scientific realism (physics, ballistics) and high-fidelity visuals will be demanding.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain a stable 60 FPS during zero-G combat.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and complex physics simulation will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of rival squads and the demanding physics of zero-G environments.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a tactical shooter.
• Game Name: The Expanse: Osiris Reborn

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for the original 2019 release. A 'Spacer's Choice Edition' with higher requirements was released in 2023. The following extrapolations for modern laptops are based on the original, well-optimized release.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop versions of the listed desktop GPUs require comparable performance. Given the game's age and optimization, most modern gaming laptops will run The Outer Worlds at high settings and framerates without issue.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Not a critical factor for this title, as even lower-power laptop GPUs can easily run the game at high framerates.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game is not overly demanding, but good cooling is always beneficial for maintaining consistent performance during long sessions.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: The game is not CPU-intensive by modern standards, and most modern mobile CPUs will handle it without issue.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus can help reduce system latency, which is beneficial for the game's first-person shooter combat.
• Game Name: The Outer Worlds

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain a stable 60 FPS during zero-G combat.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and complex physics simulation will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of rival squads and the demanding physics of zero-G environments.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a tactical shooter.

• G P U T G P: Not a critical factor for this title, as even lower-power laptop GPUs can easily run the game at high framerates.
• Cooling Thermals: The game is not overly demanding, but good cooling is always beneficial for maintaining consistent performance during long sessions.
• C P U Power Limits: The game is not CPU-intensive by modern standards, and most modern mobile CPUs will handle it without issue.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus can help reduce system latency, which is beneficial for the game's first-person shooter combat.