The release of Shattered Space marked my first return to Starfield since September of last year. More than a year removed from Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG, I had mixed thoughts. While the experience of playing through the game was enjoyable enough to be one of my highest-reviewed games of 2023, it didn’t stick with me longterm like an Elder Scrolls or Fallout game. I went into Shattered Space hoping that Starfield would deliver something memorable and wholly unique. That ended up not being the case, as Shattered Space just feels like more of the same.
A house of mystery
Source: Bethesda Softworks
Shattered Space is centered around the House of House Va'Ruun, a faction featured (but left largely unexplored) in the base game. I appreciate that Shattered Space has a clear focus, and doesn’t waste any time beating around the bush, you’re immediately thrusted into this mystery, and spend the entirety of the DLC uncovering the truth about this peculiar faction. There was clearly a vision here, and Bethesda accomplished what it set out to do.
Shattered Space also benefits from all the quality-of-life improvements that came before it. During the year between Starfield’s launch and the release of Shattered Space, Bethesda has added city maps, UI updates, and a land vehicle. These additions soothe a lot of Starfield’s pain points and make it easier to enjoy what the DLC offers.
With the House Va'Ruun taking center stage, the large majority of Shattered Space takes place on Va'ruun'kai. Unlike the majority of Starfield’s celestial bodies, Va'ruun'kai was hand-crafted by Bethesda Game Studios and includes several unique locations. The planet itself is fine, but the decision to set almost the entire DLC on one planet feels representative of a much larger issue.
The yearn for something more
Source: Bethesda Softworks
Starfield is meant to be a planet-hopping adventure. The promise of interstellar exploration is at the core of this game’s elevator pitch, and a lot of my enjoyment in the base game came from seeing the cultural and visual differences between different systems and the people who inhabit them. Shattered Space felt like an opportunity to zoom out and expand the universe, but it feels like the opposite.
Playing through Shattered Space, I reflected back on expansions released for previous Bethesda RPGs. Skyrim’s Dawnguard expansion not only added a new location to explore, but implemented features and mechanics that materially transformed how the game was played. Fallout 4’s Far Harbor further immersed me in the post-apocalyptic world, meaningfully expanding on the base game’s campaign.
Starfield fails to hit the highs of these expansions. Sure, there are new weapons and armor to collect, and they add much-needed variety for players who’ve seen everything the base game has to offer, but Shattered Space doesn’t do anything to set itself apart. It doesn’t feel like content designed to expand Starfield, it feels like a side quest line that got cut from the base game and was implemented later.
Lost in space
Source: Bethesda Softworks
Shattered Space is a decent expansion that pretty much boils down to more Starfield. However, for a DLC that was announced before the game even launched, I was hopeful for so much more. Shattered Space failed to reignite my interest in Starfield, or deliver an experience that can stand next to Bethesda’s best expansions. I genuinely hope there’s more Starfield in the future, and that there’s a true sense of innovation when that time comes.
These impressions are based on a Digital Deluxe version of Starfield provided by Bethesda.
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replyDonovan Erskine posted a new article, Starfield: Shattered Space is a middling return to Bethesda's sci-fi RPG
