Why Shattered Space Doesn’t Need to Be Starfield’s ‘Phantom Liberty’

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Why Shattered Space Doesn't Need to Be Starfield's 'Phantom Liberty'

As a seasoned gamer who’s weathered countless storms in the gaming industry, I can’t help but marvel at Bethesda’s approach to their upcoming DLC for Starfield – Shattered Space. Unlike some developers who find themselves cornered by unrealistic expectations, Bethesda is in a unique position where they can take their time and gradually improve upon an already solid foundation.

Stories about comeback kids in gaming aren’t unheard of, but CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most impressive turnarounds on record. After a rocky launch, the developer managed to reverse their fortunes through incremental improvements and culminated with the stunning expansion known as Phantom Liberty last year. The surge in players following the release of this DLC demonstrated that well-executed additional content can drastically alter a game’s perception. However, while Phantom Liberty‘s success has set a high bar, not every DLC needs to live up to its heroic standards. For instance, in the case of Starfield, the upcoming DLC named Shattered Space should build upon the foundation laid by the base game, but it’s one that doesn’t need the weight of expectations similar to those placed on Phantom Liberty.

It’s not uncommon for games developed by Bethesda to include additional content after release, so it didn’t come as a shock when they announced DLC for Starfield at Summer Game Fest 2024. Unlike patches aimed at fixing bugs, the expansion titled Shattered Space is designed to continue and expand upon the interstellar storyline that was started in the main game of Starfield. While it doesn’t need to redefine Bethesda’s approach to gaming like Phantom Liberty did for another title, it will still contribute to the ongoing narrative of Starfield.

Phantom Liberty And Shattered Space Have Different Contexts Behind Their Release

One significant distinction in the demands placed on the expansions for “Phantom Liberty” and “Shattered Space” lies in the base game they need to enhance. Compared to “Starfield,” Bethesda didn’t face anywhere near the level of criticism that CD Projekt Red received for “Cyberpunk 2077” at launch, despite its performance issues and lingering bugs.

Man, I couldn’t believe it when I heard that Sony took down Cyberpunk 2077 from their PlayStation Store and even offered refunds for purchases! The level of backlash this game received was clearly severe, showing just how critical many gamers like me were about the game.

Due to the disastrous debut, everything was riding on the success of the developer for the Phantom Liberty update. Nearly the entire base game needed a major overhaul, and this project took approximately three years to accomplish. The expansion overhauled several fundamental aspects of the game while also introducing new content and playable locations. Typically, DLCs are considered additional material, but for Cyberpunk 2077, it transformed into a tale of redemption and a second opportunity to fulfill its original ambitions.

Starfield’s Launch Reaction Gave Bethesda the Platform to Gradually Improve, Not Overhaul

Contrastingly, Starfield faced a smoother journey than its counterpart from CD Projekt Red. Despite garnering mixed responses, this wasn’t surprising considering Bethesda aimed high in their quest for creative peaks. Criticism was directed towards its navigation system, maps, and perceived scarcity of content on certain planets. However, moments like Vasco the robot companion engaging in almost human interactions served as beacons of praise amidst the general frustration, offering Bethesda potential areas for improvement.

In contrast to CD Projekt Red needing a full-blown firefighting strategy to save their major project, Bethesda can gradually enhance Starfield’s experience through its DLCs, thanks to a more flexible post-launch plan. Enhancements to the base game had already been made evident before the official announcement of Shattered Space.

Bethesda’s Piecemeal Approach To Addressing Issues Eliminates the Need for a Phantom Liberty Encore

Initially, some members of the community criticized Starfield for not having a clear map and finding planet exploration difficult. To address this issue, Bethesda introduced an upgraded map complete with 3D representations of internal spaces and markers signaling points of interest such as shops. This enhancement enabled players to quickly teleport to these notable locations, improving the overall experience compared to the confusing array of blue dots that previously covered the map.

Bethesda debuted REV-8, the initial land vehicle in the game Starfield, solving many exploration challenges faced by players while exploring on foot. Since the developers are actively addressing the problems within Starfield, there’s minimal expectation for Shattered Space to excel in any area other than story development. Consequently, it can concentrate on expanding the lore of Starfield as players journey to Va’ruun’kai to solve the mysteries surrounding House Va’ruun.

Furthermore, it seems there may be further Starfield DLCs in development, meaning the anticipation for enhancements shouldn’t solely rest on Shattered Space, but rather be shared among all future content releases, much like how expectations for improvements were distributed with Phantom Liberty.

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2024-10-01 20:24