The Art of The Expanse: UNN, MCRN, and Belters Revealed

The Expanse: A Telltale Series, a collaboration between Telltale Games and Deck Nine, is an upcoming video game that was revealed at The Game Awards 2021. The game serves as a prequel to the TV series and centers around Camina Drummer, who is the Executive Officer of the Artemis, a scavenging ship that searches for opportunities in the outer regions of the Belt. In a recent interview with Game Rant, the art director, Emerson Oaks, and the lead environmental artist, Tommy Spampinato, discussed in detail the intricacies of the artistic process and design decisions that have contributed to the creation of The Expanse's vast and immersive space environment. Their insights provided a glimpse into the meticulous attention to detail and creative vision that has been invested in crafting this ambitious virtual world.

The Expanse is an enthralling TV series that's based on the novels of James S. A. Corey. The show was created by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby for Syfy, and it depicts a future where humanity has successfully colonized the Solar System. This group of diverse protagonists unwittingly uncovers a dangerous conspiracy and must also confront the challenges that arise from the discovery of alien technology. The show's captivating plot is a blend of high-stakes conflicts, thrilling intrigue, and introspective themes.

The visual approach of the game was heavily influenced by The Expanse TV show's art style. The development team paid close attention to the unique design aesthetics of each faction, with Belters' environments featuring exposed wires and a confined atmosphere. The UNN and MCRN were also differentiated by small details that were faithfully captured in the game's design. By maintaining these distinct styles, players could easily identify the ship they were aboard, resulting in a more immersive gaming experience. According to Spampinato, who sourced the art from the TV show, "Belter design is more closed in with exposed wires, while UNN is cleaner but bulkier, and the MCRN were very sleek."

The game's development team aimed to maintain the established design principles of The Expanse while infusing their own creativity into the project. To achieve this, they immersed themselves in the series, gaining a deeper understanding of the characters' journeys and the universe's future direction. This allowed them to construct the game's spaces and narrative with greater depth and authenticity. While staying faithful to the IP, they also sought out opportunities for artistic freedom, especially in the design of Belter ships. As Oaks noted, this approach ensured that the game remained authentic to The Expanse while allowing for unique design expressions.

"Knowing where the series was heading also proved to be helpful," Spampinato shared. "It allowed us to envision Drummer's journey and use that knowledge to shape the space and characters. With the rich history we learned from the show, we didn't have to guess anything and had plenty of references to draw from."

To create a truly immersive open-world space in The Expanse, the development team faced the challenge of maintaining creative freedom while ensuring that every aspect of the space felt authentic and seamless for players. This required meticulous attention to detail, as the team had to consider how players would be able to freely explore every corner of the game world. According to Oaks, this meant that the team had to approach the design process differently than they would for a more linear game, as there were fewer opportunities to hide elements from players. In addition to maintaining a high level of immersion, the development team also prioritized scientific accuracy throughout the design process. To achieve this, they consulted science videos and shared their findings with the narrative team, allowing them to seamlessly integrate scientific details into the game's story and enhance the overall believability of the game world.

The development team drew inspiration from various sci-fi series to create costumes, sound and lighting, and gameplay elements, including character movement. Countless iterations were dedicated to perfecting the functionality and realism of the space suit, demonstrating the team's commitment to both artistic creativity and scientific accuracy. Oaks stressed the importance of blending art and science to produce a game that not only felt immersive but also authentic, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in the virtual world.

"To stay true to The Expanse, we must consider its art and science background. Essentially, the art serves the game's needs. Our goal is to ensure that the game accurately transports players into that world and achieves a harmonious balance."

To accurately depict objects in zero gravity, the team extensively studied videos as a visual reference. The inclusion of Zero-G gameplay in The Expanse presented a challenge, leading the team to focus on perfecting collision mechanics for seamless and uninterrupted movement. Overcoming technical and design obstacles, such as the visual representation of blood in space, required close collaboration between developers and designers. To ensure precision in their depiction, Spampinato mentioned that they consulted videos to gain an understanding of how liquids would behave in a vacuum.

The team behind the game understood the importance of player choices and how they can affect the overall art design. This meant that the art team and narrative team worked closely together to identify significant choices and ensure that they were reflected in the game's visuals. The attention to detail was meticulous, even down to the integration of elements such as characters losing body parts. By aligning the art and narrative, the goal was to create a cohesive experience where player choices had visible consequences in the game world.

The Expanse will release on June 27 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.