Starfield: Shattered Space – The Expansion that Could Instill New Hope in Fans

As someone who has spent countless hours traversing the vast expanses of Starfield’s Settled Systems, I must admit that the upcoming DLC, Shattered Space, has piqued my interest. The shift from intergalactic exploration to a more focused, handcrafted experience within the capital city of Dazra and its surroundings is a welcome change.

The initial major expansion, titled “Shattered Space”, is set to release for “Starfield” on September 30th. However, will this horror-themed add-on prompt gamers to clear out 125 GB of storage to reinstall “Starfield”? Despite the introduction of a vast new environment with a fresh narrative and missions in “Shattered Space”, it’s primarily separate from the core game. This means that players should not anticipate any significant changes in “Starfield” due to this expansion. However, the exploration into supernatural horror and focus on meticulously crafted environments may bolster the confidence of the player base in “Starfield’s” future. Could “Shattered Space” potentially improve the fate of “Starfield”? Let’s delve into how this new DLC might signal a resurgence for Bethesda’s expansive space RPG.

To begin with, let’s clear up a common misunderstanding: “Shattered Space” is not just an update version 2.0 of the original game. Instead, it seems like the developers intentionally placed the new content of this DLC as far removed from the Settled Systems as they could, in order to separate it from many of the core game’s shortcomings.

Most of the fresh content in “Shattered Space” is confined to a newly isolated region within the game, although certain elements will migrate to the Settled Systems, enhancing the fundamental feel of “Starfield” slightly. As anticipated, the new DLC comes with new armor and weapons that can be utilized throughout the main game.

In addition to the regular types, there are also newly designed grenades, some of which are made from organic materials. Bethesda’s tweet calls them ‘gross’, hinting at their unique nature. Much like the urine grenades in Death Stranding, it remains to be seen if these will operate in a similar fashion.

As a gaming enthusiast, diving into Shattered Space feels like stepping into a whole new universe! The thrill isn’t just about acquiring fresh armor or gear; it’s also about the ship customization features and traversal mechanics that have been introduced. While details are still under wraps, our creative lead Tim Lamb hinted in a Gamescom interview that these customizations will allow me to tailor my ship in ways that significantly impact my gameplay style. He also tantalized us with whispers of “new tools and gadgets” that could enhance exploration and my engagement with the world. For now, we can only speculate about these new customization options and exploratory tools, but one thing is clear – they’ll be something I can take beyond the confines of the DLC’s isolated zone.

It’s clear that the expansion titled “Shattered Space” won’t mend the fundamental flaws inherent in the core of “Starfield“. The original game’s storyline, writing, barren areas, and lengthy load times will persist even after “Shattered Space“. However, this DLC does introduce a fresh narrative experience tailored based on player input, which unfolds in its own sector separate from the Settled Systems.

In the original game, several players found the storyline to be vague and scattered, with artifact collecting in parallel universes being enjoyable yet lacking a clear conflict or objective. However, the developers of Shattered Space aim to address this issue by creating a more immersive and meaningful narrative, as stated in interviews. Tim Lamb from Bethesda describes it as a story that will feel “personal and significant”. The specifics of how they plan to achieve this are yet to be revealed, but it’s known that Shattered Space will primarily revolve around cults, contrasting with Starfield’s broader themes of space exploration and discovery.

In the storyline of “Shattered Space“, the main action is filled with intense political struggles and captivating mysteries. The DLC takes you deep into the inner workings of a secretive cult society, and the journey to reach this cult’s location is far more engaging and thrilling than any experience in the original game.

To gain entry into the DLC, you respond to a distress call coming from an abandoned spacecraft, which then guides you through a wormhole to a hidden star system. If the deserted spaceship gives off a chilling vibe reminiscent of “Dead Space,” you’re on the right track. A quick glance at the trailers makes it evident that “Shattered Space” is going to be a horror-focused game. Unlike the original game, “Shattered Space” seems less optimistic and more focused on creating a horrifying atmosphere, as opposed to the ‘joy of exploration’ theme. The narrative’s focus on vortexes and wormholes shares some parallels with the mind-bending anomalies found in the “Stalker” series games.

In the game “Shattered Space”, peculiar occurrences caused by gravitational abnormalities are generating wormhole vortexes. These vortexes spill out an assortment of creatures from other dimensions. Many of the new enemy types in the DLC originate from these gravitational distortions. The enemies, called Vortex Terrors, suddenly appear from vortexes behind you, similar to jump scares in typical horror games. In the game, you’ll frequently experience close encounters and ambushes, which demand a range of new melee equipment to handle effectively. Consequently, most of the DLC’s new weaponry is designed for closer combat, so expect an expansion of your melee arsenal.

In addition to incorporating horror aspects into Starfield’s gameplay, Shattered Space also brings zero-gravity battle situations. The creative producer states that these unique zero-G sequences demand more strategic thinking from players and offer an entirely fresh perspective on the game’s combat. As gamers have expressed a desire for more melee weapons and closer combat experiences, this change in Shattered Space’s gameplay is seen as a welcome one.

Players have expressed a desire for fewer loading screens and more populated planets, issues that Shattered Space aims to address directly. One method Shattered Space uses to tackle these concerns is by incorporating a self-contained planetary system. The creative producer has confirmed that the new playable areas cover a small sector, which is smaller than a galaxy but larger than a single planet. Instead of traveling from planet to planet for quests, the main story unfolds within a compact area located in the city of Dazra.

By zeroing in on a single planet, you’ll experience slower-paced travel between locations and reduced loading times due to this streamlined approach. The detailed, densely packed locations will be navigated smoothly without interruptions from loading screens. Notably, the capital city Dazra and its surrounding map area have been meticulously designed by hand. Although other parts of the planet might be procedurally generated, it’s reassuring to know that the region where the narrative unfolds, including the area surrounding the city, is custom-made.

Lastly, the cult is getting substantial lore and story significance in Shattered Space. The cults aren’t the only ones getting additional screen time though; the Spacers and Crimson Fleet factions are all positioning themselves within the cult after seizing the opportunity granted by the opened wormhole. There will be a lot of political maneuvering as these competing factions fight to fill in a political void within the cult.

This leads into how the player will make decisions in the DLC. We will presumably have to choose which faction to join during this conflict, and perhaps even have a chance to be in charge of the capital city of Dazra. It’s highly likely some party members and characters related to the cult will get additional development as well. Andreja is one of your closest companions throughout Starfield’s campaign, and she has close ties to the cult, meaning the DLC will further flesh out her characterization and give us more dialogue. The cults aren’t given a lot of lore or fleshing out in the base game, so it’ll be interesting to finally get some story and characterization around them and other party members.

It’s unlikely that the upcoming expansion, “Shattered Space,” will address the fundamental issues present in “Starfield,” but it promises to deliver an entirely distinct narrative and setting outside the established Settled Systems. The developers are actively incorporating player suggestions into the fresh content of this DLC, with a focus on refining certain aspects. The unique selling point of “Shattered Space” is its immersive and gripping storyline, shrouded in a horror-themed fantasy, where melee combat takes center stage, complemented by survival horror elements. Another appealing aspect is the campaign’s single-location design, which minimizes frequent planet-hopping and results in shorter load times.

In this game, there’s a strong focus on custom-made content throughout, whether it’s the city layout and its map or the weightless battle situations. However, it’s essential to note that Shattered Space isn’t a complete revamp of the entire game; instead, it’s an additional chapter similar to how Shivering Isles was related to Oblivion. Todd Howard has hinted at plans for releasing story DLC every year. If this happens, we might eventually reach the stage where CD Projekt Red is with Cyberpunk 2077 and its overhaul version 2.0. Whether or not Starfield will have a revival depends on Bethesda’s continued efforts to enhance the game, as well as players’ willingness to stay engaged. On September 30th, we’ll find out if Shattered Space gives fans hope for a significant update like what No Man’s Sky experienced in the future for Starfield.

Please take note that the opinions expressed within this article belong solely to the author. These perspectives may not align with or be officially endorsed by GamingBolt as a collective entity.

2024-09-30 15:11

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