Voice acting can be a tricky thing to get right. Sometimes you just don't know if a performance is really what you're looking for until you hear it in context. In the case of two major roles in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, developer Owlcat Games is recasting its original actor after a round of particularly poor feedback from players.
Owlcat Games reveals the change in an update one month into Osiris Reborn's current beta period. "While the voice actor for the male protagonist and [his identical twin] J put in a lot of good work, they felt less expressive than we wanted," the studio says. "Because of this, we are changing the voices of the male protagonist and J."
A press release indicates the casting process has already begun, stating "the team is looking for a new voice for both [J and the male protagonist]."
Our The Expanse: Osiris Reborn preview notes that the game's dialogue wasn't its strongest facet by any means. "The female character options fare better in their overall delivery, but dialogue generally can be painfully functional at best," we write.
Owlcat also notes that the character movement isn't where anyone would like it to be. "Our dev team is also working on the overall character animations, including both facial animation and body movement, to make them feel more natural and polished," the company says.
As the game isn't due out until mid-2027, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn devs have plenty of time to course-correct here. With any luck, the game's next beta will instill more confidence in the Mass Effect-inspired spin on 2023 adventure game The Expanse: A Telltale Series.
