It’s
been
a
long
time
coming
for
Starfield
players.
Bethesda’s
sci-fi
take
on
Skyrim
originally
launched
last
summer,
and
while
there
have
been
some
updates
and
improvements
since
then,
it’s
taken
more
than
a
year
for
the
game
to
get
its
first
major
expansion.
This
lead-up
means
there’s
a
lot
riding
on
Shattered
Space
—
which
is
a
perfectly
fine
addition
to
the
game
that
also
feels
incredibly
underwhelming.
After
a
promising
setup,
it
ends
up
mostly
being
more
of
the
same.
Things
start,
as
they
so
often
do
in
expansions,
with
a
distress
call.
This
one
leads
you
to
a
derelict
space
station
that
is
brimming
with
ghostly
apparitions
and
which
eventually
whisks
you
away
to
the
home
planet
of
the
House
Va’ruun,
a
religious
sect
that
worships
a
giant
serpent.
There,
you
learn
the
Va’ruun
have
been
beset
by
a
calamity
that
has
caused
some
members
to
disappear,
others
to
turn
into
violent
wraiths,
and
a
number
of
other
strange
and
disastrous
happenings
in
and
around
their
main
city.
After
a
ceremony
that
actually
converts
you
to
the
church,
your
job
becomes
solving
the
mystery
of
the
calamity
and
helping
the
House
put
things
back
in
order.
(Note:
you
can
technically
access
Shattered
Space
at
any
point
after
Starfield’s
opening
mission,
but
Bethesda
recommends
being
level
35
or
higher
to
get
through
it.
I
played
on
a
New
Game
Plus
save
at
level
32
and
didn’t
really
have
any
problems.)
It’s
a
great
premise
that
promises
all
kinds
of
cosmic
horror.
The
planet
you’ll
explore
is
rendered
in
a
garish
red
and
purple,
filled
with
strange
glowing
growths,
bubbles
where
gravity
doesn’t
exist,
and
oddball
creatures
that
would
look
right
at
home
in
No
Man’s
Sky.
The
main
city
—
which
looks
like
a
cross
between
a
frontier
town
and
an
ancient
temple
—
is
filled
with
people
struggling
through
the
turmoil,
whether
it’s
lost
loved
ones,
food
shortages,
or
a
crisis
of
faith.
Shattered
Space
is
also
notable
for
being
incredibly
focused.
While
much
of
Starfield’s
appeal
has
been
the
sheer
scale
of
its
universe,
here,
you’re
limited
to
a
single
planet
that’s
dense
with
things
to
do
and
see.
It’s
reminiscent
of
the
largely
standalone
Far
Harbor
expansion
for
Fallout
4.
This
results
in
some
great
storylines,
particularly
in
the
sidequests,
which
have
you
doing
everything
from
investigating
a
haunted
orphanage
to
hunting
down
a
livestock
thief.
At
first,
the
religious
sect
seemed
standoffish
and
difficult
to
understand.
But
eventually,
it
became
clear
that
despite
their
complete
isolation
and
belief
in
a
big
snake,
they
were
all
just
people
struggling
to
get
by.
Even
the
simple
missions
give
you
some
new
insight
into
the
human
side
of
this
group,
which,
in
the
main
Starfield
campaign,
is
largely
branded
as
a
sect
of
violent
zealots.
But
how
you
do
that
is
typical
Starfield
(and
Bethesda)
stuff.
Quests
have
you
fighting
through
dungeons,
collecting
or
delivering
items,
and
occasionally
talking
your
way
out
of
problems.
There’s
a
new
backdrop,
but
nothing
much
has
changed
in
terms
of
the
structure
or
moment-to-moment
experience
of
Starfield.
Those
alien
monstrosities
are
just
more
enemies
to
fight;
the
ghostly
wraiths
are
just
more
soldiers
shooting
at
you.
At
the
very
least,
the
fetch
quests
are
a
good
chance
to
try
out
the
new
dune
buggy.
There’s
nothing
particularly
bad
about
Shattered
Space.
And
if
you’re
just
looking
for
more
Starfield,
that’s
exactly
what
this
is,
only
in
one
of
the
more
visually
and
narratively
interesting
locations
in
the
game.
But
after
so
much
time,
I
can’t
help
but
want
a
little
more
than
just
more.
Shattered
Space
had
the
potential
to
be
weird
and
creepy
and
different,
but
it
looks
like
players
will
have
to
keep
waiting
for
something
that
feels
truly
new.
(Originally posted by Andrew Webster)
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