After spending about 25 hours playing Starfield when it first launched last September, I hadn’t revisited the game for about a year. With the release of the Shattered Space expansion on Monday, I was eager to dive back in and see how the game had evolved. While Shattered Space embraces some of the strongest elements of Starfield, such as handcrafted content, it still struggles with the underlying issues that have plagued the RPG.
Starfield has not received the same level of acclaim from the gaming community as previous Bethesda RPGs like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. The base game’s reliance on procedural generation and lack of polish have been major criticisms. While Shattered Space makes improvements in certain areas, it fails to address all of the game’s deficiencies. My return to the sci-fi universe was enjoyable, but it left me uncertain about staying for the long term.
Reflecting on Starfield, one year later
Jumping into the storyline of Shattered Space after a long absence can be daunting. This expansion delves into the lore of the religious House Va’ruun faction, introducing complex names and historical references. Despite the initial complexity, I found myself engrossed in the DLC’s narrative, thanks to Starfield’s core strengths in storytelling and world-building.
The handcrafted narrative elements have always been a highlight of Bethesda’s RPGs, and Starfield is no exception. The expansion delves into intricate lore while maintaining engaging storytelling, showcasing the developer’s prowess in creating immersive worlds.
Despite its strengths, Starfield suffers from a disconnect between handcrafted moments and procedurally generated content, hindering exploration and immersion. This dichotomy still persists a year later, despite some quality-of-life enhancements.
Starfield may not be as flawed as its reputation suggests, but it falls short compared to Bethesda’s previous titles. Shattered Space doesn’t offer a significant departure from these issues.
Highlighting the best of Shattered Space
In Shattered Space, a catastrophic science experiment within House Va’ruun leads to a captivating adventure filled with political intrigue and religious themes. The main questline and sidequests delve into power dynamics and personal relationships, blending horror elements with thrilling combat encounters.
The expansion introduces Va’Ruun’kai, a visually stunning planet with unique characteristics and engaging inhabitants. The meticulous design of this world underscores the value of handcrafted environments over procedurally generated landscapes.
Shattered Space reinforces the idea that Starfield could benefit from a more focused approach to world-building, emphasizing quality over quantity. While the expansion lacks new gameplay systems, it reinforces the best aspects of Starfield.
Exploring the shortcomings of Shattered Space
Despite its strengths, Shattered Space falls short in addressing all of Starfield’s issues. Performance issues persist, with visual and gameplay glitches disrupting the experience. While the expansion delivers on its promise of a compelling questline, it fails to fully integrate with the base game.
Some narrative choices lack consequences, and the expansion feels somewhat detached from the overarching story of Starfield. Despite its flaws, Shattered Space offers a compelling experience for returning players but falls short of reinventing the game.
Starfield: Shattered Space is now available on PC or Xbox Series X/S, either as a standalone purchase or as part of Starfield’s Premium Edition.
