Has Starfield Shattered Space DLC failed to release? Steam players seem to think so

StarfieldThe first DLC, Shattered SpaceLaunched yesterday to an overall lukewarm reception. The DLC was much anticipated, in no small part due to its promises to address many common criticisms of the game. Shattered Space Offers a hand-crafted map, one of the first of its type in StarfieldAlong with a horror-slanted story that would add a much-needed injection of flavor to an occasionally bland setting.

But much of the excitement seems to have fizzled after release: at the time of writing, Shattered Space sit at aMixed“Rating on.” Steam. Steam collects game ratings from players, requiring them only to choose whether a game is “Recommended“or”Not recommended“, but actively encourage them to write as much as they want on the topic.MixedRating means that there is some positive and some negative among the 584 reviews, and there could be any number of reasons why.

Why Starfield: Shattered Space’s Steam rating is so low

Bad bugs & great expectations

One possible reason for Shattered SpaceIt’s mixed reception is that The DLC launched with a handful of irritating bugs. Many players downloaded Shattered Space Along an expansive Starfield Update on day one, only to find out they couldn’t play the DLC. Many mods, including those supported by Starfields official creations market, are also unusable. Some found that they could not get the starting mission to trigger; Others couldn’t even load their saves. Still others discovered that Va’ruun’kai’s planetary textures, and much of the NPC dialogue that takes place on it, was blank, swapped for placeholder designs and subtitles read, “LOOKUP FAILED!“

A review written by a Steam user Naerumi addresses this issue, opening, “Another game breaking DLC ​​brought to you by Bethesda.” StarfieldThe developer has a reputation for releasing buggy gamesAnd to make the bugs worse when it later goes up with DLC. The particular player, however, is mainly concerned about how their update affects their mods.

basically, Shattered SpaceThe reception isn’t terribly surprising, ConSeeding the base game was similarly receivedand also has a “Mixed“Rating on.” Steam. StarfieldThe biggest problems are its lackluster exploration caused by its procedurally generated map, its lack of real-time space travel, and its impractical story decisions. Shattered Space Addresses many of the criticisms, but many players feel it doesn’t do enough. A Steam review by user Toop Open it up: “Shattered Space changes none of that. It’s just more Starfield.“

The problem is, How much like Shattered Space Can offer on its own, it can’t fix all the issues with the base Starfield. Leave out the DLC, and it’s the same old story: planets are empty, points of interest are repetitive, and space travel is a no-go. It is a short reprieve from all the problems with StarfieldBut no more.

and indeed, Many negative reviews Shattered Space That simply speaks to the quality of the DLC in and of itself. Many question the value relative to what it provides. A review by user Sealthief Gives a full breakdown: Costing $30 USD, the DLC gives “0 new companions, 0 new gameplay features, 0 new ship parts,“and”Over 100 new loading screens.”If you stack this up against any of Bethesda’s previous DLC, this is by far the worst value for your money.“

Shattered Space is a good start

The first DLC of many

So it would seem that Shattered Space Didn’t quite live up to fan expectations. Many of​​​​the expectations are fair: a $30 DLC should provide a significant expansion and should be released in a playable, largely unbroken state. Believe Shattered Space Would solve all the problems with the base game, however, is a little unrealistic. At best, it can be expected to build on the better parts of its foundation while introducing new features.

yet, Shattered Space represents a good first step in StarfieldS redemption arc. Its handcrafted environment and spooky story suggest that Bethesda is listening and responding to player criticism. Shattered Space May not have compensated for all the flaws yet, but there is always potential for future DLC to continue to fill in the gaps. As long as its developers continue to take player feedback, Starfield May one day become the best game it can be.

Sources: Steam (1, 2), Naerumi / Steam, pot / steam, SEALTHIF / Steam