As a seasoned space explorer and a long-time fan of Bethesda games, I must say that my journey through Va’ruun’kai was as intriguing as it was frustrating. The vivid purple hues and the gravity-defying landscapes of Shattered Space were a sight for sore eyes, reminiscent of those loading screens I’ve grown so accustomed to in the base game.
Despite numerous improvements, such as fixing the city navigation and introducing a new land vehicle for exploration, Starfield continues to present an uneven blend of impressive highlights and frustrating setbacks.
I approached Shattered Space with a mix of careful optimism, having invested several hours into the main game, finding its locations of interest repetitive and dealing with its subpar exploration mechanics.
I felt thrilled upon recalling all the fantastic extra content that significantly elevated Bethesda’s past games, and I’m well aware of how a fresh DLC can transform my experience post-completing Cyberpunk 2077’s “Phantom Liberty” expansion.
As a gamer, I treaded carefully since Starfield was constructed on an old engine, suspecting that its inherent issues might be too ingrained to vanish with just a massive expansion pack.
Following a 13-hour adventure through the territory of one of Starfield’s enigmatic factions filled with shades of purple and snake imagery, it’s clear now that I should have been more careful.
Instead of providing an exciting, fresh spin on the struggling space saga, as anticipated, it ended up being a lackluster and disappointing encounter.
Kicking Off With A Classic Sci-fi Trope
The “Shattered Space” expansion pack offers an effortless, engaging experience, smoothly blending with the main game. It invites players to quickly dive into a familiar science fiction theme – a distressed space station sending out a distress signal.
Despite being outdated, Bethesda skillfully weaves enchantment with the Creation Engine to construct an immersive environment and ambiance. In this instance, it’s The Oracle, a research facility belonging to the mysterious House Va’ruun, dedicated to individuals fascinated by a large snake deity.
This solid introduction of The Oracle was a much-welcome departure from the repetitive landmarks of Starfield’s desolate planets.
The situation improved significantly, stirring greater anticipation, as Phantoms – a fresh type of adversary that can teleport throughout the eerie space station – were introduced. Yet, what started as an intriguing enigma soon turned into a tedious task, much like managing other facets of Shattered Space.
Buggier Than The Base Game
After just a few moments of witnessing Shattered Space’s intriguing opening sequence and battling these peculiar foes, I found myself being abruptly transported to perilous zones within the space station. This unexpected teleportation not only put me at risk but also momentarily disrupted my immersion in the game experience.
In addition to a tough combat AI, the game Shattered Space also came with bugs that hindered my advancement within just a few minutes of play.
On various instances throughout the game, I found myself needing to return to certain locations repeatedly to set off crucial events.
Indeed, the base game had its fair share of bugs and glitches as well, but it was actually one of the most polished Bethesda games to date. A low bar, admittedly, but a benchmark was set nonetheless.
Starfield may not have effectively concealed its engine’s technical flaws, but it was relatively free of bugs that obstructed mission advancement or caused catastrophic failures. On the contrary, Shattered Space was plagued with severe bugs from the beginning and continued to present them throughout my gaming experience.
Because of the issues with bugs and lackluster content, it’s challenging to appreciate this title on its own merits, offering just a handful of fresh weapons and Va’ruun-inspired gear as standalone features.
It Does Get Something Right
As a gamer, I’ve been eagerly waiting for the new DLC. While it may not entirely revive Bethesda’s space opera that felt somewhat lackluster, it does manage to address one major concern – the underwhelming space exploration aspect of Starfield.
In Starfield, the lack of traditional space travel and an excessive focus on quick-travel and tedious menu navigation makes the process of accomplishing missions and advancing in the game less enjoyable compared to titles like Fallout or Skyrim.
The tasks and goals can be found across various star systems and planets, linked together through interstellar transition portals, or as you might call them, loading screens.
Removing this technological constraint took away the feeling of discovery, a key component that once distinguished Bethesda games as beloved classics.
Shattered Space streamlines the scattered exploration found in the original game by providing a compact, unified adventure within a singular location instead.
It’s refreshing to encounter less frequent loading screens and navigate through the terrain freely to accomplish goals. The experience is even more enjoyable when the surroundings appear intriguing and are adorned with peculiarities such as gravity bubbles, dangerous zones, and an intense use of the color purple.
Welcome To Va’ruun’kai
The game titled “Shattered Space” is situated on Va’ruun’kai, the native planet of one of Starfield’s most radical and enigmatic factions, House Va’ruun. Given their significant absence in the primary game, it was quite logical for an expansion pack to delve into them.
In Shattered Space, the faction initially comes across as quite significant due to The Oracle’s grand introduction. However, it subtly reduces the emphasis on their initial appearance compared to their role in the main game, where they are primarily represented by zealots.
Upon touching down on Dazra, the vibrant purple metropolis of Va’ruun’kai, I was thrust into the role of a new savior for a beleaguered faction within mere half an hour of the narrative unfolding. This early introduction felt somewhat rushed and gradually took on the air of another common Bethesda tale with generic elements.
As my beliefs about that matter were nearly solidified, I unexpectedly became a prominent figure in Va’ruun’kai. Suddenly, Shattered Space entrusted me with the challenging task of navigating through the devious, backstabbing, and secretive inhabitants of this dangerous planet.
At this point, it began demonstrating its abilities by offering a sequence of tough choices, captivating missions, and demanding circumstances.
Despite some instances where the endings felt sloppy due to poor writing and unusual resolutions, it was delightful to catch a peek at Starfield’s exceptional storytelling potential that wasn’t overshadowed by the problems intrinsic to the main game.
Despite the disappointing scarcity of substantial material and numerous squandered chances, the game “Shattered Space” demonstrated the skill of its developers in crafting intriguing quests and narratives that gradually revealed themselves within a unique and alluring setting.
But that was it. Shattered Space’s main story consists of brief flashes of storytelling finesse, and the moments that sparked excitement were frequently overshadowed by its significant shortcomings like the quest-breaking bugs, lack of new items, gameplay systems, and immersion-breaking details.
Closing Comments
Shattered Space is just more of what Starfield couldn’t deliver. Although its focused, single-location experience and engaging quests provide a refreshing change, its overall lackluster quality proves that no updates or expansions can truly transform Starfield. While moments of brilliance remain, and Shattered Space does add some memorable moments to the pile, it’s a DLC that ensures that Starfield doesn’t go out with a bang like a Supernova, but rather fades into the vacuum of space without so much as a whimper.
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2024-10-07 17:09