It has been over 14 years now since the release of Mass Effect 3, and despite several attempts, no game has come close to replicating what BioWare's original trilogy offered. In fact, even BioWare itself has struggled to repeat it, with Mass Effect: Andromeda ultimately failing to live up to expectations, and similar games like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard struggling to capture the same magic. Most of these attempts have replicated at least one of Mass Effect's best elements, but the reason it's so difficult to do is that BioWare's original sci-fi RPG series managed to incorporate them all into one satisfying, unforgettable loop. However, heading into the second quarter of 2026, two non-BioWare games, Exodus and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, are showing early signs of doing something many others have tried and failed to do.
In order to be a proper (and perhaps successful) Mass Effect-like, a game needs to possess and execute well all four of the original trilogy's most defining characteristics: world-building, dialogue, companions, and combat. At the moment, it's impossible to know whether Exodus and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn will be able to accomplish this, but they nonetheless already look like the closest any games have ever gotten to doing so. With Exodus being a spiritual successor of sorts built by BioWare veterans and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn openly acknowledging Mass Effect as a direct inspiration for the game, 2027 is likely going to be a big year for fans of the definitive sci-fi RPG trilogy.
Exodus Is Trying to Carry the Torch Forward
There's a chance Exodus could be the more Mass Effect-like game between it and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, simply because of who is building it. With key talent like former BioWare developers Drew Karpyshyn, Chad Robertson, and James Ohlen at the helm, the likelihood of it actually replicating what the original Mass Effect trilogy started naturally feels higher. That being said, it could also be the one thing that sets it apart from The Expanse, and not in a good way, as the team might feel pressure to push the formula too far in another direction to avoid retreading old ideas. The sweet spot might end up being to make Exodus feel like Mass Effect without being a mere imitation.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Set roughly 40,000 years in the future, Exodus follows humanity after Earth's collapse as it spreads across the Omega Centauri cluster in search of survival, only to encounter new threats born from its own evolution. Players take on the role of a Traveler, embarking on dangerous missions across distant star systems to recover powerful relics and combat advanced post-human beings known as Celestials, all while navigating competing factions and moral dilemmas that shape the galaxy's future. At its core, the story is driven by time dilation, where each journey through space causes years or decades to pass for those left behind, meaning every decision carries long-term consequences that ripple across generations.
Exodus' Core Features
- STORY-DRIVEN SCI-FI RPG – Single-player, narrative-focused experience set 40,000 years in the future.
- TIME DILATION CONSEQUENCES – Choices ripple across time, affecting future generations and outcomes.
- THIRD-PERSON COVER COMBAT – Cover-based gunplay mixed with melee, abilities, and positioning.
- SQUAD-BASED COMPANIONS – Recruit allies whose relationships unlock storylines, quests, and lore.
- COMPANION-BASED ABILITIES – Team synergy and cooperative skills play a role in combat encounters.
- STEALTH OR OPEN APPROACH – Missions support multiple playstyles with equal viability.
- EXPLORATION-DRIVEN WORLDS – Travel across planets and star systems with large-scale sci-fi environments.
- MORAL CHOICE SYSTEMS – Branching decisions shape factions, characters, and overall narrative outcomes.
- ADVANCED TRAVERSAL TOOLS – Mechanics like grappling "railclaw" enable vertical movement and exploration.
- PROGRESSION AND BUILD SYSTEMS – Skills, gear, and abilities evolve alongside player choices and playstyle.
As it turns out, Exodus may actually have that part down. Based on what has been revealed so far, it already has the main ingredients in place with its story-driven nature, squad-based companions, each of whom has their own storylines, cover-based gunplay with special abilities, a branching choice system, and plenty of exploration. Even with those features, Exodus sounds like a genuine Mass Effect competitor, but it includes a unique time dilation system that could be the one thing that causes it to soar above The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.
Exodus' Time Dilation Mechanics Are Its Bread and Butter
Essentially, Exodus takes a scientific approach to choice and consequence by making every trip into space hit closer to home. While most RPGs allow players to see the consequences of their actions immediately or shortly after, the choices they make in Exodus will happen behind the scenes while they're traveling through space. When moving at near light speed through the cosmos, time moves slower for players, but it moves normally (or much faster) for everyone else. So, while players experience only days or weeks on a mission, the rest of the galaxy experiences years, decades, or even longer.
When players return from those journeys, they might find that characters have aged significantly, relationships have changed, or entire situations are entirely different. The people and places that players leave behind are still affected by the normal passage of time, growing, changing, and sometimes, drifting away. It's a notable, albeit extreme, take on Mass Effect's iconic choice system, ironically putting a touch of Interstellar time dilation into the mix—along with a performance by the film's lead, Matthew McConaughey, who voices C.C. Orlev in Exodus.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn Is Rebuilding the Formula in Its Own Image
Exodus might be seen as more likely to be like Mass Effect due to the team behind it, but where The Expanse: Osiris Reborn may have an advantage is in its willingness to reinterpret that formula rather than inherit it. In the end, its firm foundation in The Expanse's politically driven universe could give it a clearer identity instead of relying on expectations that the BioWare veteran-led Exodus will presumably be unable to shake from the get-go. If that weren't enough, it already looks visually much closer to the original Mass Effect trilogy than Exodus does, which may automatically increase its nostalgia factor.
There's a chance Exodus could be the more Mass Effect-like game between it and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, simply because of who is building it.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn follows a Pinkwater Security mercenary whose routine shore leave on the asteroid Eros spirals into chaos when a catastrophic lockdown traps them at the center of a solar system-wide conspiracy. As tensions between Earth, Mars, and the Belt threaten to erupt into full-scale conflict, players must create their own captain, assemble a crew, and take command of a powerful ship while navigating political intrigue, survival, and the looming threat of the protomolecule. Set within the established timeline of The Expanse but telling an original story, the game places players in a position where every decision shapes their crew's loyalty and their place in a fractured, volatile solar system.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn's Core Features
- STORY-DRIVEN SCI-FI RPG – Narrative-focused experience set in The Expanse universe.
- CUSTOMIZABLE CAPTAIN ORIGINS – Choose backgrounds like Earther, Martian, or Belter.
- SQUAD-BASED COMPANIONS – Recruit and lead a crew with unique roles and character arcs.
- THIRD-PERSON COVER COMBAT – Tactical gunplay with squad coordination and ability-driven encounters.
- CHOICE-DRIVEN NARRATIVE PATHS – Decisions impact relationships, factions, and outcomes.
- SHIP AS CENTRAL HUB – Command a stolen ship that serves as your mobile base.
- SEMI-OPEN SOLAR SYSTEM – Explore locations like Mars, Ceres, and Ganymede.
- ZERO-G GAMEPLAY SECTIONS – Combat and traversal extend into weightless environments.
- POLITICAL FACTION DYNAMICS – Navigate tensions between Earth, Mars, and the Belt.
- CHARACTER-DRIVEN STORYLINES – Companion quests, dialogue, and relationships shape the story.
At first glance, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn has all the essentials of a Mass Effect-like game. It's a story-driven sci-fi RPG that allows players to explore certain parts of space, characters are fully customizable and have distinct backgrounds that can effect dialogue, players can build relationships with companions and even romance them, and the player's ship serves as a central, mobile hub that gradually opens up as they move through the narrative. It has the cover-based, ability-driven combat of Mass Effect, and it even has tactical pause so players can choose their next move carefully. Political factions even play a part in the player's choices, and those decisions can affect outcomes of major story beats and even the game's ending.
At the same time, what The Expanse: Osiris Reborn seems to emphasize more clearly is its identity, building its version of the formula on a universe that already thrives on political tension, moral ambiguity, and character-driven conflict. Where Exodus builds its hook around time dilation and long-term consequences, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn seems more focused on the immediacy of its choices, how they impact crew loyalty, faction relationships, and moment-to-moment survival within a volatile solar system. That difference may end up being more important than it initially seems, as it positions Osiris Reborn not as a direct imitation of Mass Effect, but as a game that understands why that formula worked and molds it around a setting that naturally supports it.
Mass Effect Fans Have a Lot to Be Excited About in 2027
Regardless of which game "wins" in 2027, however, it looks like Mass Effect fans have more to look forward to that year than they've had in a while. Both Exodus and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn look immensely promising as Mass Effect-inspired games, and, of course, the best outcome would be for each one to succeed in their own right, as they individually offer a unique take on the formula. Ultimately, if either game can deliver on even part of what they promise, it could finally prove that the magic of Mass Effect isn't impossible to recreate, it has just been waiting for the right developers to take another shot at it.
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Exodus
Systems
- Released
- April 7, 2027
- Developer(s)
- Archetype Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Wizards of the Coast
- Number of Players
- Single-player
WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALEXODUS™ is a sci-fi action-adventure RPG where you become the Traveler—leading humanity’s fight for survival against the Celestials. Face our evolution 40,000 years in the future, explore extraordinary worlds, and confront time itself to shape the fate of generations.
Forge a Legacy That Shapes Generations
• Step forward into the role of Jun Aslan, a salvager turned Traveler—a renegade among the stars and hunter of ancient secrets.
• Embark on interstellar missions to recover Celestial Remnants that may hold the key to humanity’s survival.
• Return to a changed world, where time dilation has amplified your choices and reshaped the future of humanity.
Lead the Fight for Salvation
• Engage in intense combat against monstrous creatures and constructs, rival human Dynasties, and the greatest threat of all: the Celestials.
• Fuse Remnants with human tech to expand your arsenal and unleash devastating abilities through a Gauntlet only you can command.
• Fight alongside powerful, highly adept companions whose strength, skill, and synergy turn the tide of every battle.
Discover Extraordinary Worlds and Companions
• Explore a galaxy alive with awe and mystery, shaped by extraordinary worlds, unique beings, and the bonds you forge (or break) along the way.
• Encounter the evolved descendants of humanity known as the Celestials, their bioengineered Changelings, and highly intelligent Awakened animals.
• Lead a formidable crew across the stars —human and Awakened—driven by their own convictions and deadly in the fight ahead. -
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
Systems
- Developer(s)
- Owlcat Games
- Publisher(s)
- Owlcat Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
- Single-player
WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALTHE UNIVERSE NEVER TELLS US IF WE DID RIGHT OR WRONG
By the 24th century, humanity has conquered the cosmos. However, life has remained anything but easy. In The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a story-driven sci-fi Action RPG, you play as a Pinkwater Security mercenary whose brief shore leave on the asteroid Eros spirals out of control. Trapped in a deadly lockdown and drawn into a solar system-wide conspiracy far beyond your control, you’ll have to adapt, survive, taking command of the most advanced ship in the whole of the solar system.
Create and customize your own captain — Earther, Martian, or Belter — and lead a crew of highly-skilled specialists as you face off against escalating threats, political pressure, and a relentless enemy that will stop at nothing to see you dead. In a solar system held together by fragile alliances, every decision leaves its mark.
TRUST ISN'T GIVEN - IT'S EARNED
Your companions are more than just mission assets — they are people with their own scars and loyalties. Some chase redemption. Others hide their truths. Over time, your relationships will flourish or deteriorate depending on the choices you make and how you choose to lead. The ship becomes your home — a place where trust is earned, not given.
DYNAMIC THIRD-PERSON COMBAT
Fight in third-person utilizing cover-focused gunplay and abilities. Two companions will accompany you into the field while others will support from a distance: disabling systems or drawing the enemies’ attention. You will issue real-time commands and have to adapt quickly to survive the manifold threats the system will throw at you.
THE FRACTURED WORLD OF THE EXPANSE
Visit iconic locations like Ganymede, Ceres, Mars, and Luna. Walk through ruined habitats and political strongholds mired in unease and tension. Talk to the locals. Uncover secrets. Use your skills to influence what happens next. The system looks different from every planet and from every asteroid. Some are falling apart. Others just hide it better. You may even come across a familiar face or voice that reminds you of just how small the system really is.
