The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 4 – Lady Paramount Review: Entering The End Game
As we move deeper into The Expanse: A Telltale Series it becomes increasingly difficult to talk about the game without spoilers, so for those who haven’t checked out the story thus far, I’d recommend caution moving forward. I’ll keep things as minimal as possible while still giving you an idea of what’s going on, but some spoilers will follow.
Staying Alive
Episode 4, Lady Paramount, starts off with Camina Drummer alone and in a desperate situation. She’s been abandoned on a remote space station and has no way off. She’s low on oxygen and needs to find a way to contact someone who might be able to save her while not even being sure there’s anyone out there. The urge to give up is strong, but she’s not a quitter, and the need for revenge drives her forward.
The consequences of my choices and story beats weigh heavily on episode 4, so it’s hard to know if everyone will have the exact same experience, but it’s hard to think things will be entirely different for others. Drummer’s in trouble and counting on her resolve to pull her through. While she fights to live though, her past starts to catch up with her. While the voices she hears throughout this episode may not be real, they do make her think about the choices in her life that have led her to this moment.
Throughout episode 4, you’re mostly guiding Drummer through new areas in the same station you spent much of episode 3 in. There is one particularly cool puzzle you’ll have to deal with, but outside of that, Telltale and Deck Nine don’t have a lot of new tricks to throw at us, but that’s mostly okay. This late in the game, we do not need gimmicks or the game to be completely reworked. We need the story to hit and drive us to the conclusion satisfactorily. Does it manage to do so?
Rising Tension
The answer is mostly yes. While episode 3 finally got things moving in the right direction, Lady Paramount has us dealing with the fallout of the major choices available there in a satisfactory way. Drummer’s anger and guilt are palpable, and I loved the fact that her guilt drove Drummer’s past to resurface.
This is the episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series that is most connected to the wider Expanse universe thus far as well. Several characters fans of the books and television show are familiar with appear, with one in particular shocking me when she showed up. They’re fun nods to fans, even if I wonder how they’ll play with those who are new to this universe. Up until now, Telltale’s story stood alone with no issue, and while I don’t think these moments necessarily fail in that respect, I’m also not convinced they’ll be as satisfying to those who don’t know their history. The voice that torments Camina as she explores this dead station once more has been referenced at places in the game, but if you weren’t digging into logs or fully exploring, I’m not convinced it means much.
Conclusion
Despite this, Lady Paramount succeeds at making me excited for the grand finale of The Expanse: A Telltale Series. This episode ends with Drummer on a collision course she’s not entirely in control of despite how hard she worked to reach it. I can’t wait to see how things end and the fate of each member of my crew. Where things stand mostly feels earned, and in the best tradition of these games, I wish I’d made several other choices along the way so I may have another run of the story in my future to see how different things can be.
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Available on: PC (Reviewed), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One; Publisher: Telltale Games; Developer: Telltale Games, Deck Nine; Players: 1; Released: September 6th, 2023; ESRB: M for Mature; MSRP: $39.99
Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of The Expanse: A Telltale Series provided by the publisher.
