After weeks of new updates to prepare players, Starfield is finally back with its first expansion, Shattered Space. Giving players new areas to explore, a story to experience and weapons to collect, Shattered Space is a start in the right direction for StarfieldAlthough a rocky one. Although it didn’t quite live up to fan expectations, receiving a dramatic range of reviews from critics and players alike, There’s still fun to be had in Shattered Space thanks to its newest features.
Starfield was a very hit-or-miss game for many players, with a range of incredibly dedicated fans compared to a growing number of critics panning the game’s performance. Shattered Space isn’t safe from the critics either, with many players unhappy about the DLC, arguing about its lack of content and overall quality. While Shattered Space alone may not be enough to repair Starfield big trouble The DLC combined with the latest patches has given players more incentive to make a return to the game world.
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Updates to the Creation Kit
Minor changes aimed at streamlining player mods
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The creation kit has seen some minor changes in the Shattered Space patch compared to previous updates, but is still appreciated nonetheless. Aim to make the game more intuitive to mod for both players and creatorsOne of the first changes was fixing a number of bugs, one of which capped the number of loaded creations to 255. Various other updates included improved mod sorting in creation menus, console compatibility warnings, and an update that assists with texture problems for Remotely modded objects.
Players may want to disable some mods before starting Shattered Space’s DLC for a smoother experience.
Unfortunately, with any large-scale update or DLC like Shattered Space, there are bound to be side effects that can cause mod compatibility issues. Many players are frustrated to find that their creation downloads or custom mods are missing or not working properly after the new update. Fortunately for fans, these issues are often temporary as most mod developers work to update their creations To the newest version of the game.
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Upgraded armor with new clothing
Dress to impress with new outfits to choose
As expected from a full content expansion, Starfield Shattered Space includes 19 new armor pieces along with 40 new clothes to equip. Not only will these gear additions help players survive the treacherous inhabitants of Va’ruun’kai, but they’ll look incredibly stylish at the same time. Some of the coolest looking gear in the game can be found in the new clothing additionsWith some outfits looking familiar to those in the recently resurgent Dune franchise.
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While most players prefer to experience the world of Starfield In first person for added immersion, it’s always nice to know how the player looks like NPCs. Adding more roleplay options too, Players will have more freedom to customize their character to fit different factions or backstories with their new wardrobe. Although beautiful to look at, fancy outfits can only take players so far, which is where the heavy-duty external armor comes in, looking as intimidating as ever for players who want to feel like a deadly space agent.
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New and improved weaponry
Increasing the players arsenal with upgraded weapons
Armor and gear can only help players survive for so long, with a solid arsenal of weapons needed to fight back against alien and human threats. Fortunately for returning players, Shattered Space Offers several new weapons to blast enemies to pieces with. With 7 completely unique weapons to unleash, Shattered Space Has more options and firepower to tackle the toughest combat encounters the new DLC has to offer.
Shattered Space offers some new weapons to blast enemies with.
The powerful weapon upgrades also have impressive new animations, firing blasts of electricity with their own animations and effects. The Va’ruun Penumbra is one of the most exciting of the new weapons, with a quick and satisfying reload animation after its devastating AoE blast. For players who want a detailed breakdown of each new gun, a full list can be found at Game Rant’s List of every new weapon in Shattered Space, giving them a clear idea of ​​what to expect in the new expansion.
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Space bending gameplay mechanics
Adding more variety to combat with craftable grenades
One of the biggest changes in Shattered Space Give players the ability to craft their own grenades. Not only can players now craft these powerful combat tools, but they will also have access to the 5 brand new grenades added in Shattered Space. Each of the new vortex grenades has its own unique effectsWith all of them being extremely powerful in the right situations and incredibly satisfying.
Charged Vortex Grenade |
Regular AOE explosive grenade |
Binding Vortex Grenade |
AoE damage while freezing enemies |
Lure Vortex Grenade |
Summon a vortex horror to fight enemies |
Facing Vortex Grenade |
Causes enemies to phase out of combat when hit |
Unstable Vortex Grenade |
Activates a random ability of the other 4 grenades |
Players can unlock these powerful tools simply by progressing through the main story, after which they can craft it at any workbench with the right materials. Given how powerful some of the enemies in the Shattered Space DLC can be, The grenades are essential for survival on the new planet Shattered Space. Of all the new options, Charged and Binding are two of the best grenades in Starfield, they are the simplest to use but incredibly effective at dispatching enemies. with ease.
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New side quests to complete
More missions to learn about the New World
Besides the main campaign of uncovering the secrets behind House Va’ruun, Shattered Space Has many side quests for players to experience. Traveling across the planet of Va’ruun’kai, players will help citizens of Dazra and other denizens solve problems or manage challenging social situations. Not only is there more content to experience, but The side quests will help players to learn more about the strange history and unique culture of the planet.
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The side-quests offered by Shattered Space They are difficult in length, some are simple tasks and others give players much more to do outside the main story. Some of the new side quests also have a strong sense of player choicewith multiple outcomes and moral consequences depending on their actions. One of the more interesting side quests in Starfield DLC involves a duel between two siblings, with the player stepping in to sway the end result with a unique item.
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New creatures and enemies to meet
An abundance of exciting alien life forms
With a new planet comes a hand-crafted assortment of new hostile and friendly creatures to encounter. Given the nature of Va’ruun’kai’s dangerous environments, The local populations will be some of the deadliest threats the player will encounter. From flying creatures to six-tailed anomalies, using the REV-8 for extended travel is a much safer bet than tackling the deadly aliens head-on.
A hand-crafted assortment of new hostile and friendly creatures to encounter.
One of the unique enemies players will encounter is horrors lurking in corners across the planet. While players will learn more about them as they begin to uncover the history of House Va’ruun, The unique appearance and danger of the aliens makes them stand apart from creatures that the player has faced in the past.
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Two new companions to travel with
More gameplay options and personality choices
With the addition of Shattered Space comes two completely new companions to travel alongside the player, each with their own skills and personality. The first of the two companions is Tane Salavea, which offers Celt bonuses, increased cargo capacity, and bonus damage for pistolsAll of which are incredibly useful skills for many players. Tane himself can be recruited as part of one of the earlier quests in the DLC, with a tough but lovable personality for players to discover.
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The second companion players will encounter is the intelligent Sahima Ka’dik, being another great addition to the player’s crew. Sahima provides boosted EM weapon damage, increased sniper damage, and additional energy from ship reactors. These abilities make Sahima a great companion to have on the player’s shipAdding useful tech-related utility on top of your Upbeat diminer.
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Explore the world of Va’ruun’kai
A whole new hand-crafted planet to explore
Most of the player’s actions will relate to exploring Va’ruun’kai, which is located in the brand new Kavnik system. The system also has several moons and a second planet to explore, but being the home world of House Va’ruun, most of the action is on the similarly named planet. While a single planet cannot match an endless number of procedurally generated environments, Va’ruun’kai’s handcrafted design can make it feel even bigger than Starfield’s gargantuan size at times.
The atmosphere sets the tone for one of Bethesda’s biggest DLCs to date.
Despite criticism from players throughout Shattered Spaces lack of content, there are still many points of interest for players to discover themselves or through the new quests of the DLC. Players exploring the various environments won’t miss any eye candy either, viz The planet of Va’ruun’kai is easily one of the most visually impressive in the game. With stark glowing blues and ominous red mist contrasting the darkened surface of the planet, the atmosphere sets the tone for one of Bethesda’s biggest DLCs to date.
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A deeper storyline to experience
Uncover the history of House Va’ruun
Being mainly drawn from Starfield Shattered Space Expansion, the story will have players uncover the mystery behind the house Va’ruun, and the disaster of a failed experiment. Offering a deep dive into the once mysterious clan, Players will have a better understanding of Starfield Overall universe after experiencing what the DLC has to offer. During the main story players will encounter a number of new companions, enemies and gear to guide them on their journey through the rest of the game.
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Being one of the most mysterious areas of the base game, Many fans have already speculated the DLC to be about House Va’ruun, finally answering long-asked questions about their status in the world of Starfield. Slowly together that led to the fatal moments of the faction, players will learn about the culture of the planet and the history behind the great serpent worshiped by many natives. Similar to that StarfieldThe base game has to offer, players will make choices of direction where the story will go, with consequences for their actions and with whom they decide to align themselves during the story.
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Improved enemy AI
Bring enemy NPCs to life with greater intelligence
On release, enemy AI was one of the biggest areas of criticism StarfieldWith many players showing how simple the combat was from poorly designed AI. Shattered Space aims to correct these concerns by providing a plethora of new enemies to encounterWith unique move-sets and tactics to catch unsuspecting players off guard. One addition are new vortex horrors born to the planet, capable of overwhelming the players with a barrage of attacks that can be fatal if not quickly.
Adding more realism and engaging combat that isn’t limited to just the DLC.
Aside from the Horrors, one of the deadliest enemies players will encounter is the PhantomsBeing aggressive remnants of the past that shock players with powerful blasts of lightning. The Phantoms are more intelligent than the average enemy, capable of flanking tactics and even ambushing the player while they explore, giving a breath of fresh air to Starfield Normal combat. The new level of intelligence even reflects on the base game’s enemies, adding more realism and engaging combat that isn’t limited to just the DLC.
with Shattered Space Adding content to the base game with new encounters and smarter enemy AI, it’s the perfect time to redownload StarfieldOr for new players who want to experience Bethesda’s latest RPG outing for the first time.
Source: Game Rant, Bethesda Softworks/YouTube