Starfield: Shattered Space Review – A scientific space slog that just won’t start

Entering the purple atmosphere of the mysterious Va’rwn’kai should have felt like something truly special, however Starfield: Shattered Space DLC feels more like a scientific space slog that fails to launch, rather than a groundbreaking new entry in the story. Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, the Shroud of Choice in a fairly linear narrative, marred by a lack of any odds or anything new and exciting, Leave the first expansion for the epic space adventure an underwhelming effort And a reason to pause for anyone who doesn’t already own the deluxe edition.

Delving into the world of the Va’ruun showcase III Starfield is weak. While traveling in a random star system, players will encounter a derelict spaceship called the Oracle, with a distress call from the ship. throughout the game, Players must navigate between three leading Va’ruun factions, House Veth’al, Dul’kehf and Ka’dic, In what feels like a fairly tired and redundant Bethesda trope that fails to capture the magic of the company’s previous DLC.

Starfield’s first expansion does not provide anything new or innovative

Shattered expectations

Starfield: Shattered Space Expands on one of the biggest mysteries from the base game: the enigmatic Va’ruun faction. Encounters with the religious soldiers were numerous in the base game of StarfieldBut it was the only major faction lacking a home base. with Shattered SpaceThe faction was introduced by the revelation of the planet of Va’ruun’kai and the capital city of Dazra – the (somehow) hidden home planet and capital city for the worshipers of the Great Serpent.

In terms of New items, changes in the quality of life or even memorable characters, Shattered Space Really does not deliver. Early teasers that promised an improved melee system failed to materialize beyond a few added weapons and tiers (something that arguably should have already been in the base game). While there are some cool void grenades and Va’ruun weapons, it’s nothing groundbreaking, or even new, with similar Starborn powers already in the game. what Shattered Space It’s new and unique handcrafted environments, lots of NPCs and missions revolving around the Va’ruun.

Unfortunately, since almost nothing has been modified from the base game, and the story slogs on at points, Shattered Space Ultimately feels like no other questline in Starfield. The narrative does not Indeed Answer any burning questions about the great serpent, and the examination of the religious fanatics seems surface-level. Worst of all, it Keep the pace of Providing wrong choices In what is otherwise a pretty linear experience.

Starfield: Shattered Space might be fun for Starfield fans

It depends on where you stand

Those who are fans of StarfieldEspecially those who already have the deluxe edition, should not skip this expansion. In many ways, the main critics of Shattered Space are present in Starfields main missions, so Those who have fun Starfield Should enjoy Shattered Space. The game itself and advances in graphic fidelity have turned the title into a visual delight when compared to its initial release in September 2023. In addition, there is fun side quest content, like “The Duel,” which forces players to make a definitive choice In the end that has a lasting impact on the narrative.

The story itself, which never claimed to answer burning questions in Starfield study, Really underdelivers by not touching on the bigger topics in a definitive way. More is planned about the origins of the Va’ruun, with some backstory revealed through audio logs and computer console messages, but the main questions about the truth of the great serpent and heavier overall themes are still quite ambiguous by the completion of the campaign. Conflicting information from Anasko Va’ruun and audio logs still leave the entity a mystery.

Instead, the storyline revolves around tensions between three different Va’ruun factions – a common Bethesda trope at this point. The setup is also typical, which made the DLC feel even more underwhelming. for truth Fallout And Starfield Fans, it may feel like a familiar, warm blanket, but for most longtime fans, it will feel derivative and tired.

Bethesda seems afraid to take risks

Best described as milk toast

Starfield: Shattered Space It’s not a great DLC by any means, and it’s not remarkably terrible either. Although a few persistent bugs still exist from the base game, the expansion commits one of the worst sins in gaming – it’s Just plain uninteresting. The problem lies in the primary choices made with the story. Although the setup lends itself to a twisted, macabre story, the game never really goes there—that is to say, it never takes any risks.

Throughout the DLC, dialogues feel like narrative dumps, with the science behind the sci-fi delivered via overly verbose snort fests with complex terminology at almost every corner. String theory, a multiverse: the same tired old tropes that have gained popularity in the past decade. Although the religious fanaticism of the weak Varun is present, It never feels extreme enough, reducing them down to a joke. Joining a cult should feel uncomfortable, but in Shattered SpaceWa’ron feels like any other faction. An opportunity to inject genuine dread or a sense of paranoia, creeping doubt or fear is all missed here.

And sadly, this illustrates an issue with the game in general. in starfield, Each faction more-or-less feels the same, except for one or two things that set each town or city apart. New Atlantis is the clean, corporate city, Neon is the cyberpunk city, and Va’ruun is the religious city. Starfield Micro societies themselves tend to lack the nuance of fully fleshed-out, living, breathing placesAnd the new Varun’kai can do everything to make a real memory.

Shattered Space is not a horror game

The trailers misled

One of the more peculiar aspects of the US Shattered Space Launch was the intentional positioning of the game as a cosmic sci-fi horror DLC. While there are some spookier moments in the game, To say that it embraces the horror themes present in the trailers would be untrue. In some ways, this was one of the more disappointing aspects of the experience overall. Although the plot of the game is almost a direct copy of the 90s film event horizonIts overall tone and aesthetic is much different than that film.

There aren’t a lot of new enemies, although they are arguably all horror-themed in some respects. Opponents of the void include a new ugly alien and glowing, cosmic face huggers, but none as monstrous as what is already in Starfield. Void horrors, which are made to be terrible, lose their effect after the second or third encounter.

The initial quest to explore the Oracle is terrifying in some respects, with corpses floating in zero gravity, but beyond that, the scares are few and far between. There was an opportunity to let the player-character question their own sanity or even flux between planes like in the mission “Entangled,” but neither route was ever really explored.

In a world of constant comparisons, Starfield: Shattered Space loses

It’s not terrible, but it’s not good either

In a different universe, if Shattered Space Created by a less infamous company than Bethesda, it can be hailed as a pretty fun, albeit overpriced DLC. That said, it’s not just his own, generally acclaimed DLC like Dragonborn for Skyrim Or For Harbour for Fallout 4 It needs to be argued with. in 2024, Starfield Now has a lot of competitors in the narrative science fiction space, and many of them provide more value than Shattered Space At a $30 retail price.

The truth is Starfield: Shattered Space Feels less like a revolutionary expansion that fulfills the wishes of the faithful Starfield Fans and more like what should have been a free DLC that adds another questline that probably should have been included at launch. While it’s not as anemic in content as Trackers Alliance’s recent missions, it’s certainly not what everyone was hoping and waiting for.

maybe one day, Starfield Will finally become what everyone has hoped for, with more emphasis on the mechanics people enjoy. Starfield: Shattered Space Is not the worst DLC in the world, and fans of the base game may enjoy it, but it fails to live up to the reputation that Bethesda has established as a company that makes great expansions.