The Expanse: A Telltale Games Series – Archangel review

• Reviews by Jack Allin
• Published:

Single-room bonus episode not what fans were praying for

You just can’t keep The Expanse down. First it defied a TV cancelation to last another three seasons, then it was resurrected for an interactive adaptation by Telltale Games. And while Telltale’s five-part episodic series has already concluded, The Expanse is now back again for a final(?) curtain call with a bonus episode called “Archangel.” The new chapter stars another fan favourite character from the television show and offers a different angle featuring political intrigue over galactic exploration, but it’s so limited in scope and so disconnected from the rest of the series that the experience is far from divine.

The entire game essentially stars one character in one room (well, technically two of each, but the seconds barely count). Yup, that’s it. The good news is that character is Chrisjen Avasarala, brought to life once again by Shohreh Aghdashloo, whose unmistakably deep, gravelly voice would be instantly recognizable even if her name and merely passable in-game likeness are not. Avasarala finds herself sequestered in an underground command bunker as the highest-ranking person on Earth, while the rest of the bigwigs are off-world holding a vote that she desperately needs to attend to maintain her civilian role as Under-Secretary for Peace Operations.

Avasarala is not entirely cut off, however, thanks to a flying drone named Nishan, a computer, and a communications device – all of which she’s going to need, as a political rival is actively working behind the scenes to undermine her authority, an overly aggressive fleet admiral is champing at the bit to engage in hostilities with encroaching Martians, and a headstrong son dares to choose love over his mother’s express wishes on the eve of heading into battle. It’s a lot to juggle from her one-room operations center, but the process for doing so is very straightforward by reading emails, listening to and responding to voice messages, and ... well, that’s pretty much it.

There are decisions to be made, of course, but where this game breaks most from Telltale tradition is that the choices feel less like emotionally fraught, ethically ambiguous dilemmas to grapple with than simply navigating between “right” and “wrong” answers to achieve the desired outcome. None that will end the game if you screw up, but there are clearly more positive and negative outcomes that depend on choosing wisely, so you’ll have to do a little homework. At first I wondered if Avasarala would ever get out of her chair, but eventually it’s required. A zoomable holographic star chart does a thorough job of bringing you up to speed on all the latest intel for the outer colonies and the Belters. (If you don’t know who Belters are, you definitely need this chart). It’s a lot of reading, which is hardly the most immersive way to brief players on complex issues and warring factions, but you can skim most of it once you figure out what you’re looking for.

There are even a couple – gasp – puzzles to solve! One is essentially just a wiring maze similar to the ones in the main game but reduced to a smaller size, while the other is a standard slider puzzle. A fairly easy one, too, but it’s optional, and if the percentages displayed at the end of the game comparing player outcomes are any indication, almost 80% of people either suck at sliders or couldn’t be bothered. I also suck at sliders usually, but I managed without too much trouble, and only by successfully completing it can you get an optimal outcome in one particular scenario. I thought a chessboard would offer another diversionary minigame, but it proves to be nothing more than an excuse to chat remotely with Avasarala’s husband while choosing to “play” aggressively or defensively.

The most interesting puzzle to me was a narrative one in which Avasarala must deftly maneuver her way through calls with potential allies or adversaries about the upcoming vote to determine her fate. Politics repulse me normally, and this sequence of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours and stab someone else’s in the process” certainly did nothing to dispel that notion. Fortunately, Avasarala is anything but diplomatic by nature, and it’s all done in a light enough way to make for a fun few minutes of deductive enjoyment, even if I had to sacrifice my own principles to get the outcome I desired. (In office less than an hour and I’m compromised already!)

You’re guided through all this by an on-screen objective indicator that leaves little doubt what to do next, whether for mandatory or optional tasks. A couple unexpected personal crises pop up, and eventually things move to a small antechamber, which I won’t say any more about except that it contains an obstacle that could be construed as an inventory puzzle if you squint hard enough. You can also meditate or pray near a statue of the Buddha whenever you have new things on your mind, although this is entirely superficial and doesn’t impact your results in any way, except perhaps to complete an additional achievement.

With only a single nondescript room and character, it’s clear that this episode was made on the cheap. The graphics are serviceable but need to do no heavy lifting – even the fake scenery outside the windows is anything but scenic – and I was disappointed that none of my online counterparts were animated in any way, represented only by a small portrait of each. At least they’re all fully voiced, and all of them done well except for one that doesn’t seem to suit the character. The highlight, obviously, is Aghdashloo, who reprises her role from the TV show and invests Avasarala with the same no-nonsense, frequently profane, often amusingly threatening personality that made her so popular in the first place. An anticlimactic epilogue of sorts allows Aghdashloo to demonstrate some more much emotive acting chops, but the less said of that to prevent spoilers, the better.

Final Verdict

At about 75 minutes of play time, give or take, depending on how much actual reading you do, “Archangel” is about the same length as the average episode from The Expanse’s main storyline. But because it’s so unapologetically slight in its single-room presentation, it’s hard not to feel underwhelmed. One of the real positives of the main game was the sense of exploration it afforded, which has been replaced here with an agonizingly slow meander around nothing but an oversized, largely empty room. Even the player choices seem more streamlined, but perhaps most disappointing of all, this episode feels entirely disconnected from the fate of Camina Drummer and her crew on the Artemis, making it seem less like a bonus episode than a bite-sized standalone spinoff. So for those who played the main game and are suffering a case of FOMO, rest assured that you can safely skip it if the concept doesn’t appeal to you. It’s not a huge investment at only a few extra bucks, either as a standalone purchase or as part of the “Deluxe Edition,” but the only ones I can particularly recommend it to are fans of Chrisjen Avasarala, and even then, you’ll surely wish they’d let her spread her wings a little.

Jack played his own copy of The Expanse: A Telltale Games Series – Archangel on PC.

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