The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is a third-person RPG from the genre specialists at OwlCat Games, and there’s every reason to believe that it’ll fill the Mass Effect-shaped hole in our hearts.

Seriously, the sci-fi adventure — which is based on the existing universe of the well-liked book series and TV show — is starting to sound a dream come true. In a new interview with CNET, creative director Alexander Mishulin says all the right things, outlining in-depth role-playing options and referencing games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and even Persona 5.

“I’m not saying we are taking something from, say, Persona 5, but the approach, the idea that characters are front and center of the story and how they evolve all through the story up until the end is a little bit similar,” Mishulin explains.

While Osiris Reborn does take place alongside the events of The Expanse’s first two books and first two seasons of the show, you play as a custom character, joined by an original crew — a perspective that’s apparently given OwlCat Games some welcome creative freedom.

“You will be having your own adventure with your own goals, choices, consequences in the same universe [with] all the major events unfolding in this universe alongside your story,” says Mishulin.

But as alluded, it’s the mention of detailed RPG systems that should have genre enthusiasts excited. Mishulin states that there’s a big emphasis on player choice when it comes to builds and specialisations: “The RPG system is very open, allowing you to build whatever character you like. It’s part of our vision of the game to allow you to experiment and find things you like.”

Tying into character creation, you’ll be able to choose a backstory and eventually side with different factions — and there’s a weight to all of this, thanks to the already established world building of The Expanse.

If you’ve played Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader, you’ll already know that OwlCat Games is perfectly capable of adapting beloved properties — but that’s a CRPG (something that the studio’s well known for), while Osiris Reborn is a Mass Effect-style third-person shooter.

As such, it’ll be interesting to see how the developer gets on. We’re yet to behold much of Osiris Reborn outside of some very brief gameplay clips at the end of its announcement trailer, but we’re sure that more footage will be coming our way soon.

What do you make of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn? Make sure your oxygen levels are adequate in the comments section below.