How The Expanse: A Telltale Series aims to tell its little story in a big universe

I first heard about The Expanse novels when the series was described to me as “Game of Thrones set in space.” That seemed appropriate given that the co-writers – known individually as James SA Corey – were an understudy to George RR Martin a few years ago, so extensive epics spanning numerous novels seemed an apt description.

Now with nine full-length novels and several short stories – many of which I thoroughly enjoyed – and an incredibly entertaining television show that only ended a year ago, it’s time for the world of The Expanse to… well …expanding into the next world -gen gaming with The Expanse: A Telltale Series. The Deck Nine Games team seems perfectly placed to provide this experience.

the authors [Ty and Daniel] encouraged us to create new characters and expand the story.

“The Expanse is a massive universe with wildly different locations, characters and stories,” said Stephan Frost, director of Deck Nine Games. “The authors [Ty and Daniel] encouraged us to create new characters and expand the story. There is a section in the game where we explore what life was like for the first generation Belters. We’re really excited for players to see it, and it’s been a lot of fun exploring and creating. We have characters that fans will recognize, and we have some new ones that players will enjoy meeting as they play the game.”

When Deck Nine first introduced the game, Ty and Daniel liked the idea and added a few suggestions for those characters and storylines. As development continued, they received world-building cues from the series’ writers and production company, Alcon, to ensure everything felt and looked like The Expanse from the television series. Looking at some of the existing footage, it’s clear that Deck Nine Games is on the right track in capturing the hit sci-fi show – having access to its “art bible” helped.

“We’re big nerds from The Expanse, so this was really a passion project for a group of talented game developers to play in a universe we love,” says Frost. “Our film crew worked extensively on the show’s cinematography and the goal was to make it feel like a playable episode [of the show]. We can’t wait for Expanse fans to see what we’ve come up with.”

The adventure game formula Telltale Games has developed over the years has gone through many iterations, but the core of delivering an interactive adventure game has been at the heart of each release. Part of that formula was player choice, and Frost wasn’t afraid to share that we have some tough choices ahead of us – the choices we make will affect the final episode of the game – who lives, who dies, and various actions the crew is influenced by the decisions of all previous episodes. Some very expressive and well-animated characters will help create that emotional connection to these impacts and enhance the feeling of playing in the world of The Expanse.

We’re big The Expanse nerds, so this was really a passion project for a group of talented game developers to play in a universe we love.

“We use motion capture technology, which allows for some extremely nuanced performances thanks to our actors and animators, and those performances really help tell a story with heart and emotion,” explains Frost. “We’ve also added a zero-g exploration mechanic, with a much larger space to explore abandoned ships while talking to members of our crew aboard the Artemis. As an interactive storytelling device, it’s fun to levitate upside down and attach to the hull walls with our magnet boats and get perspectives from the crew on what we’re seeing.”

development further The Expanse: A Telltale Series started a little less than two years ago, and Frost mentions that once the game was greenlit, the team really wanted to delve into the exciting aspects of the universe. As we emerged from this planning session, it seemed clear to everyone that Camina Drummer was one of the team’s favorites. Compared to the other main characters in the series, her backstory wasn’t nearly as detailed as that of the Rocinante’s crew in The Expanse.

“We liked the idea of ​​exploring her past to find out why she became so great on the show,” says Frost. “The belt and zero gravity were even better parts [of the show]So we knew we had to have gameplay that felt like it was leaning into that part of the universe. When we put this all together we needed the approval of the authors of the book, so we pitched the idea to them and they were very supportive of the direction we were going.”

Of course, if you were making a game about Drummer, you would want to enlist the talented Cara Gee to reprise her role from the series – not only because her character is great, but because it would bring a tremendous amount of authenticity to the game immersion factor of the game. As it turned out, Gee was more than willing to go back to her original roots and made herself available as often as possible during the game’s development.

“Working with Cara was great, 10/10 would do it again,” says Frost. “When we met her, we had to do an ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) recording while she was filming for a TV show in Canada. We contacted an out of the way studio and asked them to come over and do some voice over recording, which was in a small studio in someone’s backyard. She was extremely friendly, funny and patient and it was great to see and hear her sweet, everyday voice plummet to Drummer’s iconic sound. When we were recording on set there was a relaxed and positive atmosphere and she played a big part in that. No ego, she worked hard and brought great learnings from her time on the show. We couldn’t have done it without them…nor could we have if we wanted to.”

We can’t wait to be part of Drummer’s story The Expanse: A Telltale Series when it releases for Xbox Series X|S on July 27, 2023. You can pre-order the game today from the Xbox Store here.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series

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$39.99

Experience the exciting universe of The Expanse like never before in Telltale’s latest adventure, The Expanse: A Telltale Series. Take on the role of Camina Drummer and explore the dangerous and unknown edges of the Belt aboard the Artemis. From looting wrecked ships in a zero-g environment to surviving a mutiny and battling fearsome pirates, you’ll make tough choices and reveal the determination of Camina Drummer in this latest Telltale adventure. A TRADITIONAL STORY LIKE NO OTHER Step into the role of Camina Drummer, the senior officer aboard the Artemis, a raiding ship searching the outer reaches of the Belt for big gains. You must gather a crew full of strained relationships and strong personalities, and make difficult decisions that will decide the fate of all. EXPLORE THE BELT IN ZERO-G Search shipwrecks, walk across walls and ceilings in magnetic boots, and soar through the void on Zero-G engines. As you fly through ship sections and the open expanse of space, interact with objects in the world and converse with members of the crew in the largest and most immersive exploration of any Telltale game to date. DIFFICULT CHOICES, DIFFICULT CONSEQUENCES Do battle with the unrelenting brutality of space, the politics of a corrupt solar system, the hostilities of your crew and Drummer’s own conflicting responsibilities to the people she cares about and the belt she is sworn to protect. There is no right or wrong way – only your decisions and the consequences they bring. Includes: -Episode 1: Archer’s Paradox -Episode 2: Hunting Grounds -Episode 3: First Ones -Episode 4: Impossible Objects -Episode 5: Europa’s Folly