Starfield’s Long-Awaited Major Expansion Is Locked To One Planet

As a seasoned gamer with countless hours spent traversing the vast expanses of Bethesda’s previous titles, I eagerly await the arrival of Shattered Space. After the somewhat underwhelming reception of Starfield, I find myself intrigued by this first major expansion.

The eagerly awaited game, Shattered Space, is approaching, releasing over a year following the global debut of Starfield. In 2023, Bethesda Game Studios ultimately unveiled Starfield for public consumption, encountering a mix of reactions and constructive criticism that would significantly influence the course of this expansive space role-playing game in the years to come.

Starfield’s Shattered Space serves as the primary expansion, but there are more expansions to come. Lately, Bethesda has delved into the fundamental gameplay elements revolving around Shattered Space, emphasizing that the entire expansion unfolds on just one celestial body.

‘Explore Every Nook and Cranny’

Bethesda Game Studios recently revealed the fundamental concepts behind Shattered Space expansion. According to their explanation, this expansion is set on Va’ruun’kai, the planet belonging to House Va’ruun – a secretive, isolationist society that exudes an air of enigma and suspense.

In that, the team also confirmed that at no point does the DLC leave Va’ruun’kai:

As soon as you set foot on Va’ruun’kai, the narrative keeps you rooted here. While you have the option to depart whenever you wish, the tale predominantly revolves around the day-to-day existence on the Va’ruun home planet.
We aim to provide you with a chance to delve into all corners of this site, uncovering secrets about its inhabitants and shedding light on their past events.

Thanks to IGN for the quotes

Attentive players observed that the blurb for Shattered Space indicates Va’ruun’kai as a ‘completely customized’ location, sparking optimism within the community. A common complaint about Starfield was that the touted ‘infinite exploration’ potential resulted in repetitive cave systems, bases, and settlements featuring identical designs, layouts, and enemy placements.

As someone who appreciates craftsmanship, I can’t help but feel that if Va’ruun’kai was meticulously built by hand, it would offer a slightly more captivating and engaging experience when exploring its corners.

Regrettably, the faction dynamics in Starfield didn’t live up to expectations, leaving many players (including me) without a strong connection to the factions. They didn’t leave as lasting an impression as the Dark Brotherhood from Elder Scrolls or the Brotherhood of Steel from Fallout, which is unfortunate.

It’s likely that Shattered Space will help alleviate some of the flaws, since House Va’ruun appears intriguing on its own from the written description.

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