Starfield: Shattered Space – Does Bethesda’s Expansion Deliver on its Promise?

Shattered Expectations: A Review of Starfield’s Shattered Space Expansion

Starfield, Bethesda’s ambitious space exploration RPG, finally received its first major expansion, Shattered Space, over a year after its initial launch. The anticipation was palpable; players hungered for new content in the vast, yet sometimes repetitive, universe. However, while Shattered Space offers a compelling premise and some engaging side quests, it ultimately falls short of delivering the truly groundbreaking experience many hoped for. It’s a perfectly acceptable addition, but one that leaves a lingering sense of "more of the same."

The expansion kicks off, as many do, with a distress call. This one leads the player to a derelict space station, a chilling precursor to the main setting. Spectral apparitions haunt the station, foreshadowing the unsettling atmosphere to come, before transporting the player to the homeworld of the House Va’ruun, a religious sect worshipping a gargantuan serpent. This sets the stage for a unique narrative focused on a specific alien culture and their unique challenges.

The player quickly learns the Va’ruun are embroiled in a devastating catastrophe. Disappearing followers, violent wraiths, and general societal upheaval paint a grim picture. Following a somewhat jarring, yet narratively fitting, conversion ceremony, the player is tasked with unraveling the mystery behind the calamity and restoring order to the House Va’ruun. The recommended player level is 35, but a New Game Plus save at a lower level proved manageable, suggesting the challenge level is appropriately scaled.

The premise itself is incredibly enticing, promising a descent into cosmic horror. And the initial visual presentation certainly delivers. The Va’ruun homeworld is rendered in vibrant, yet unsettling, shades of red and purple. Strange bioluminescent growths blanket the landscape alongside pockets of zero-gravity bubbles, creating a genuinely alien atmosphere. The bizarre creatures inhabiting this world borrow from the style of games like No Man’s Sky, contributing to its unique identity. The main city, a curious blend of frontier town and ancient temple, perfectly encapsulates the Va’ruun’s precarious position – a people caught between tradition and a devastating crisis.

Shattered Space’s focused nature is a double-edged sword. Unlike the sprawling, galaxy-spanning exploration of the main Starfield game, this expansion confines the player to a single planet, yet this denser world allows for a depth of interaction and storyline unavailable in more expansive areas. This concentration brings to mind the largely self-contained Far Harbor expansion for Fallout 4, a success story in dedicated DLC design. In this respect, the expansion works, prioritizing quality over quantity in its world-building aspect. The density of exploration leads to a more directed narrative than what is available in the main game.

The storyline, especially in the side quests, demonstrates the expansion’s strengths. These quests are genuinely compelling, ranging from investigating a haunted orphanage to tracking down a livestock thief (yes, really). Initially presented as a distant and inscrutable religious sect, the Va’ruun gradually reveal their humanity. Despite their unique beliefs and isolated existence, they’re ultimately just people grappling with hardship, loss, and a crisis of faith. Even seemingly simple missions provide poignant insights into their struggles, adding a complexity seldom afforded to isolated factions within the main game’s narrative structure. This approach humanizes a group depicted as zealots in the main campaign, offering a refreshing perspective.

However, the gameplay loop remains stubbornly familiar. The core mechanics—combat in dungeons, item collection, fetch quests, and occasional dialogue-based solutions—are pure Starfield, and by extension, Bethesda formula. The new backdrop and setting are undeniable improvements but are undermined by the lack of true innovation in moment-to-moment interactions. The alien monstrosities and ghostly wraiths are simply re-skinned enemies, offering little to no change in the gameplay experience. Even the new dune buggy introduced as part of the expansion serves as little more than a fresh vehicle for traversing the established gameplay loop.

The fact remains that Shattered Space is not a bad expansion. It’s visually striking, boasts a compelling storyline, and provides a focused experience that delves deeper into Starfield’s world than the base game allows. For those simply craving more Starfield, it delivers exactly that—more of the same, but within a more thematically rich and visually interesting location. However, for players yearning for genuine innovation, a departure from the established formula, or a truly groundbreaking new experience in the Starfield universe, Shattered Space ultimately falls flat. The potential for something truly weird, creepy, and remarkably different was there, but ultimately it is a missed opportunity. The wait continues for a truly transformative addition to the Starfield experience.

In conclusion, Shattered Space is a solid expansion that provides more of what makes Starfield enjoyable. Its focus on a single planet allows for deeper narrative exploration and a more impactful experience than often found in the main game’s sprawling, yet sometimes directionless, exploration. However, it fails to significantly innovate upon the established gameplay loop, leaving those hoping for a major departure from the core formula feeling ultimately underserved. Its strengths lie in its narrative strengths and thematic exploration, ultimately providing a perfectly adequate additional experience, yet ultimately unable to overshadow the overwhelming sense of missed potential.

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