The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 5 review - A satisfying conclusion
While it's been a rocky road to get here, The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 5 closes out the series with enough narrative drama and consistency to mostly end things on a high note. The tighter structure and runtime, and the focus on Drummer's relation to the characters help to magnify the higher frequency of important choices and increased agency, and while it doesn't approach the heights of previous Telltale games, Episode 5 shows that the developer still has what it takes to craft a tight episode of primetime episodic video game.
While it's been a rocky road to get here, The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 5 closes out the series with enough narrative drama and consistency to mostly end things on a high note.
The tighter structure and runtime, and the focus on Drummer's relation to the characters help to magnify the higher frequency of important choices and increased agency, and while it doesn't approach the heights of previous Telltale games, Episode 5 shows that the developer still has what it takes to craft a tight episode of primetime episodic video game.
Images via Deck Nine Games | Telltale Games
After the previous episodes of The Expanse: A Telltale Series, I wasn't particularly optimistic about how the final episode would pan out. Poor storytelling choices, reduced player agency, and dull gameplay plagued the most recent episodes, and I expected these problems to persist all the way to the end credits.
However, I'm happy to say that The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 5 surprised me. While it's not enough to completely redeem what's ultimately a fairly tepid comeback for Telltale Games, this episode finally fixes some of the biggest problems that have held the game down and brings a satisfying end to the story of the Artemis and its crew.
GGRecon Verdict
While it's been a rocky road to get here, The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 5 closes out the series with enough narrative drama and consistency to mostly end things on a high note.
The tighter structure and runtime, and the focus on Drummer's relation to the characters help to magnify the higher frequency of important choices and increased agency, and while it doesn't approach the heights of previous Telltale games, Episode 5 shows that the developer still has what it takes to craft a tight episode of primetime episodic video game.
Short & sweet
The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 5 doesn't waste any time before getting right into the thick of it, throwing a fairly important choice set piece at you a minute after it begins. Even from the get-go, it becomes clear how the developers have laid the foundations for these final decisions, and the weight of the previous episodes hangs on each of them with callbacks that feel rewarding.
Starting with an important set piece also perfectly sets the tone for the entire episode, with it being the most tightly paced and narratively dense yet - despite having the shortest runtime. The entire episode was constantly moving forward, and every section managed to shine a spotlight on a specific character or choice without overstaying its welcome - turning the short length into a boon that ultimately served the story.
It even won me over with its fewer dialogue options (another aspect I'd criticised previously) as it finally clicked for me how many of them represented a battle between the practical and emotional side of Drummer, letting you respond in blind anger or with careful consideration of all the facts - an aspect of her character that she battles with frequently in the TV show.
The finale feels closest to an episode of The Expanse TV show out of them all. Tightly written and considered, it doesn't get bogged down in any lengthy walking sections or sidetracked by exposition and backstory; it plays to its strengths and lets the characters and your decisions be the star of the show.
- Make sure to check out our Lies of P review
Predetermination
The biggest issue I had with The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 5 lies within the path I took through previous episodes. I chose early on to fall for Maya, believing it made sense for an isolated Drummer who lacked any close relationships after her fallout with the OPA.
I made many of the decisions in previous episodes and in this episode, with the focus on getting back to Maya and getting revenge on the person who hurt her. The devs even took this path into consideration, with multiple instances where you can invoke her name as the reason you're doing everything you're doing - but the game doesn't really provide a satisfying conclusion for this route.
Naturally, as a prequel, The Expanse: A Telltale Series has to fit into a canonical series of events that comes after, and the ending does set this up, but it doesn't do this in a way that considers what previously happened throughout the game. I feel like I could have arrived at the same destination while making the opposite choices, which is a problem for an experience that's designed like a choose your own adventure.
- Looking for more sci-fi? Here's our Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty review
The Verdict
While it's been a rocky road to get here, The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 5 closes out the series with enough narrative drama and consistency to mostly end things on a high note.
The tighter structure and runtime, and the focus on Drummer's relation to the characters help to magnify the higher frequency of important choices and increased agency, and while it doesn't approach the heights of previous Telltale games, Episode 5 shows that the developer still has what it takes to craft a tight episode of primetime episodic video game.
4/5
Reviewed on PC. Code provided by the publisher.
Comments
