What you need to know
- Starfield launched last year to widespread acclaim, but remained polarizing for a variety of reasons.
- Over the past year, Bethesda has worked to address feedback on the game, adding the Rev-8 exploration vehicle, boosted frame rates, and other enhancements.
- On September 30, 2024, Bethesda is releasing the game’s first expansion “Shattered Space,” which will focus on the shadowy space cult House Va’ruun.
- Bethesda revealed a deep dive for Shattered Space ahead of its full launch on PC and Xbox Series X|S consoles.
As a long-time fan of Bethesda games, I’ve seen my fair share of ups and downs. Starfield was a rollercoaster ride for me, with its high points being as breathtaking as the vistas of alien worlds, but also leaving me wanting more in terms of exploration and choice. But boy, did that teaser for Shattered Space get me excited!
Today, Bethesda unveiled a detailed look at the upcoming Shattered Space DLC for Starfield, promising fresh vitality and layers of complexity to the game.
Starfield is the newest action role-playing game from Bethesda Software, famous for titles like Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. However, opinions on Starfield have been divided among players due to a mix of factors. Some found it lacking in certain areas, particularly exploration, as the vast open galactic environment didn’t feel immersive enough. Additionally, some players were not satisfied with the game’s choice and consequence mechanics, finding them less developed compared to previous games. Interestingly, others expressed surprise that Starfield leaned more towards a “PG” narrative approach, contrasting with the style of Fallout, despite being a shooter game. Nevertheless, as I mentioned in our review of Starfield, there are some incredibly impressive high points in this game, featuring stunning moments within a science fiction fantasy setting that is nothing short of ambitious. Whether or not Bethesda was able to handle such ambition remains to be seen.
Over the past year, Bethesda has worked hard to improve the game on Windows and Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The game saw boosted frame rates finally, even on the “low end” Xbox Series S, up to 60 FPS. We also got a planetary exploration rover the Rev-8, and improved HDR lighting. We got new city maps, addressing navigation criticisms, too.
Note: You may want to avoid the trailer below if you don’t want even surface-level spoilers.
Starfield: Shattered Space represents the initial expansion by Bethesda for Starfield, with a complete focus on House Va’ruun, and a disastrous turn of events in a gravitational field experiment.
In their detailed explanation for Shattered Space, Bethesda reveals that the game’s events unfold on the enigmatic planet of Va’ruun’kai, home to House Va’ruun who revere an interstellar deity called The Great Serpent. At present, we have only vague understanding of what The Great Serpent truly represents, as House Va’ruun mostly maintains a covert presence within the game’s main storyline. One notable mission transpires in House Va’ruun’s embassy on New Atlantis, which shares their grim destiny.
In the universe of Shattered Space, the once thriving Va’ruun’kai has been devastated by a disastrous scientific experiment, causing distortions in the gravitational field that have drastically altered its terrain. The remaining inhabitants have established temporary settlements on the outskirts of the city, and you arrive mere weeks after the catastrophe occurred.
Bethesda portrays Shattered Space as an immersive, meticulously designed adventure that might appeal particularly to those who found Starfield’s open-world action a bit too minimalistic and vacant. The entire DLC unfolds on Va’ruun’kai, where players delve into the enigmatic cult society and uncover more about the extra-dimensional beings the inhabitants worship (or shudder at). This expansion will feature melee combat prominently, as certain adversaries swiftly close gaps and can teleport between our reality and elsewhere. Bethesda seems to be hinting at a horror ambiance with this preview, which could create an intriguing contrast to some of the game’s more whimsical escapades.
Shattered Space launches on September 30, 2024
In the detailed analysis provided by Bethesda, a few areas they didn’t delve into are improvements for the core game. Some aspects of Starfield that still leave room for improvement include the range of exploration spots, the selection of items, and to some extent, the building of outposts within the game.
In simpler terms, Starfield has a lot of unrealized, wild potential that I fear might not be fully utilized by Bethesda, as they may rely too heavily on their Creation Club modders to address some of the game’s major flaws. This is concerning, considering their modding platform inexplicably prevents Xbox gamers from earning achievements.
Starfield: Shattered Space looks stunning in a vacuum, no doubt about that. Enhancing the core game with additional hand-crafted narratives would undeniably improve the overall experience, enticing players (including myself) to consider starting anew for another playthrough. However, whether it manages to win over the game’s most vocal critics remains uncertain.
Starfield: Shattered Space launches on September 30, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC.
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2024-09-16 19:39