After a year away from Bethesda’s ambitious sci-fi RPG, *Starfield*, I returned for the *Shattered Space* expansion, eager to see if it could breathe new life into the game. The expansion delves into the intriguing lore of the religious House Va’ruun faction, offering a captivating story that’s a highlight of the experience. While *Shattered Space* leans into the best aspects of *Starfield*, namely its handcrafted content, it can’t entirely mask the game’s foundational flaws. The expansion feels like a testament to both the potential and the limitations of *Starfield*.
The story of *Shattered Space* is a deep dive into the Va’ruun faction and their history, introducing new concepts and events that took place centuries before the main game. While initially daunting, the lore becomes immersive and enjoyable thanks to the strong narrative and writing that *Starfield* has always excelled at. *Shattered Space* reminds you of the captivating multiversal twists and compelling characters that *Starfield* offers, particularly in the handcrafted moments where the game truly shines.
However, *Shattered Space* can’t escape the base game’s shortcomings. The reliance on procedural generation for planets still results in a lack of individuality and immersion, and the menu-heavy exploration system feels restrictive. Even with the addition of city maps and a vehicle to traverse planets, *Starfield* remains a game that simultaneously embraces expansiveness and restricts player freedom.
The expansion’s core questline focuses on a Va’ruun science experiment gone wrong, leading to the emergence of phantoms that shift between realities. The adventure unfolds across the space station where the experiment began and ultimately leads to the Va’ruun home planet, Va’Ruun’kai, and its city of Dazra. *Shattered Space* is a massive questline filled with political intrigue and religious tension, exploring themes of power dynamics, family, and the impact of belief systems. The expansion even incorporates a hint of horror, reminiscent of works like *Alien*, while still delivering large-scale set pieces and thrilling combat encounters.
Va’Ruun’kai stands out as one of the best planets in *Starfield*, boasting a distinct visual style with its pinkish-purple hues, gravity-defying energy bubbles, and unique inhabitants. Its handcrafted nature underscores the potential of *Starfield* if it had focused on a smaller number of meticulously crafted planets rather than generating hundreds of procedurally-generated worlds.
While *Shattered Space* delivers a compelling narrative and intriguing setting, it unfortunately doesn’t address all of *Starfield’s* technical issues. The Creation Engine 2 continues to struggle with performance, resulting in inconsistent frame rates and visual glitches. These issues, while not new to *Starfield*, hinder the overall experience.
Furthermore, the lack of consequence for some narrative choices is disappointing. Certain decisions towards the end of the expansion feel as if they should have significant ramifications on the main game, but they ultimately have minimal impact. Aside from some weapons and armor, there’s little that truly integrates into the overarching narrative of *Starfield*. *Shattered Space* is a self-contained experience, which can be seen as both a strength and a weakness. While it provides a focused and in-depth questline, it also reinforces the feeling that *Starfield* would have been more cohesive if it had been designed with more interconnectedness in mind.
Overall, *Shattered Space* is a worthwhile experience for *Starfield* players seeking a compelling questline and a new location to explore. It highlights the game’s strengths but doesn’t fully overcome its weaknesses. If you’ve been looking for a reason to return to *Starfield*, *Shattered Space* delivers, but it’s not a game-changer that will alter opinions or become essential for players who are not invested in the *Starfield* universe.
*Starfield: Shattered Space* is now available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. It can be purchased individually or as part of *Starfield’s* Premium Edition.
