David Gaider is one of BioWare's most notable writers. After cutting his teeth on Baldur's Gate 2, he wrote some of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic's most memorable characters, and would go on to lead the narrative for Dragon Age: Origins, setting the tone for BioWare's original fantasy franchise. Gaider notably never worked on Mass Effect, but he's getting the chance to channel its spirit as part of the writing team for The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.
"Alongside my work at Summerfall, I've also been collaborating with the Owlcat Games team on The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, focusing on certain aspects of the game's narrative," Gaider says in a Bluesky post. "The Expanse has long been one of my favourite series, and so obviously I jumped at the opportunity to be involved."
It's tough not to think about Mass Effect when looking at Osiris Reborn – after all, it too is a sci-fi RPG that controls like a third-person shooter where you build relationships with a cast of companions. The connection became even more direct last month, when developer Owlcat threw its own support behind the Save Mass Effect movement.
Gaider's involvement certainly adds to the bona fides of Osiris Reborn, and Owlcat's increasingly successful history with old-school CRPG throwbacks like Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Wrath of the Righteous, and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader suggests that the sci-fi RPG could be a breakout. A beta released earlier this year was janky but promising, and the developer has been proactive about responding to feedback ahead of the game's planned release next year.
For details on that other big Mass Effect-like, check out our guide to Exodus.
