Starfield: Shattered Space review - Intriguing new adventure plays it safe

I have a complicated relationship with Starfield. I awarded the game a perfect 10 out of 10 in my original review and yet, Starfield isn’t exactly a game that stuck with me. I had endless fun playing it in the silent vacuum that is a review period, yet I didn’t exactly find myself returning to the game after that. In part, that could be down to the fact that I put in such an ungodly number of hours in such a short space of time. But it’s an interesting tidbit to note, as when you’re writing a review, it’s impossible to get a sense of the long-term impact of a game. Only time can provide you with those answers, a luxury that reviewers don’t have.

As such, I didn’t exactly check out some of Bethesda’s most recent updates for the game - including those that added city maps or vehicles, for example. With that in mind, I had no idea how I’d feel when Shattered Space finally arrived. I reread my original review in preparation, and while I wholeheartedly stand by everything I wrote, I still felt a tad empty about the idea of diving back in. If Shattered Space has proved anything though, it’s that I’ve been denying myself of heaps of fun.

Within just a couple of minutes of loading the game back up, I felt at home - kicking myself at having stayed away for so long. Starfield’s hate always felt a little forced to me. Yes, I can understand why everyone may not find it to be a 10 like I did - after all, a review is simply a personal opinion - but Starfield is undeniably a good game. Shattered Space confidently reaffirms that and while it doesn’t push the boat out quite as far as I’d have liked it to, the expansion offers up yet another thrilling adventure that is somewhat of a culmination of all of Bethesda’s post-launch support efforts across the last year.

Take a look at Starfield’s Shattered Space expansion in action below.

Shattered Space takes players to Va’ruun’kai, the homeworld of the mysterious serpent-worshipping House Va’ruun introduced in the base game. Upon landing on this planet, the player discovers that the people of Va’ruun’kai have become somewhat stranded in time, unable to communicate with the rest of the galaxy for several generations. As such, your appearance comes as quite the surprise. The planet is in a rather sorry array, with gravitational anomalies and so-called Vortex Horrors plaguing its inhabitants. Naturally, it’s up to you to get to the bottom of what’s going on.

The story that unfolds is a strong one. My problem is that much like the final act of the base game, it’s nigh impossible to comment on without spoiling it for future players. What I’ll tease is that as with many of Starfield’s quests, you’ll have your role to play. If you’re to really get the most out of Shattered Space, pay special attention to what it is that others are actually telling you. By the end of the main story, you’ll be tasked with making some major decisions - decisions that place lives at stake. That sense of scale and importance was one of the things that impressed me about the base game, and I’m thrilled to see that emulated here albeit in a conundrum that feels wholly new.

All in all, it took me around six hours to get through Shattered Space’s main quest line, although there are plenty of side quests and points of interest beyond that which I spent much more time exploring. It flew by, and that can only be a good thing. I didn’t feel short-changed because as I said, there were plenty of additional activities to hold my interest once the main story wrapped up. It’s simply that the main story pulled my interest along so well that I was hesitant to step away. In fact, I’m now back to mopping up the base game’s more obscure quests, so if Bethesda’s goal was to once again secure its tenterhooks in players, it worked.

Credit / Bethesda

The format of quests is much the same as the base game. You’ll typically be tasked with visiting a certain location and wiping out the foes that stand in your way before acquiring information, an item, or sometimes a missing person. As for where Shattered Space differs, well, it introduces new enemies - namely Vortex Horrors and Vortex Phantoms. Unfortunately, neither of these are too dissimilar from what’s already present in the base game. Phantoms are humanoid enemies, whereas Horrors are bug-like creatures. The only difference here is that the ‘Vortex’ ability allows them to teleport during battle, keeping you on your toes.

You’ll encounter your fair share of Zealots too, but these are just your run of the mill human enemies. Weapons-wise, it’s a similar situation. There are new guns and throwables on offer, but if you’re coming from the base game with a modified, legendary loadout, you’re probably not going to want to stray away from it. Shattered Space tempted me with some nice alternatives, but I tended to stick to my trusty Eternity’s Gate.

That was my main problem with Shattered Space. There was very little ‘wrong’ with it. The fights were enjoyable, the story was interesting, the location boasted a unique and considered aesthetic, the character models felt more fluid and detailed compared to the base game’s OG counterparts and yet, the expansion didn’t strive ahead with the same kind of ambition as the base game.

Va’ruun’kai’s selling point was the fact that this was a hand-crafted planet after players criticised the base game’s procedurally-generated ones. And as thrilled as I am that Shattered Space introduces a new hub world, it is comparable to the likes of Neon and Akila. In fact, I’d argue that Neon is far more interesting. Va’ruun’kai and its people exhibit a unique aesthetic - you’ll see plenty of face tattoos, and those purple and blue-hued skies are a dream in photo mode - but the city itself is sparse and lacking a bit of immersion. I’m pretty sure I only saw one child on my travels, which begs the question, why? Yes, Va’ruun’kai is cut off from the rest of the galaxy, but I’d expect those left behind to have a bit of energy about them. I’d have liked Dazra, the planet’s main city, to feel like more than a series of ghostly streets, dotted with the odd vendor.

Credit / Bethesda

Ahead of Shattered Space, I was under the impression that the expansion would be dabbling around with horror tropes and while that’s partly true, so too do I think that could have been expanded upon. When you’re introduced to House Va’ruun in the base game, it’s through a psychedelic walkthrough of sorts, with strange images plaguing your vision while unexpected enemies lurk around the corner. That atmosphere was upheld in the DLC’s opening when you board a space station belonging to the planet known as The Oracle.

The Oracle is abandoned - its gravity device broken. As you float your way through this space station, it is truly eerie. The bodies of its original employees float around you. Unnerving sounds echo as you delve deeper and deeper into the belly of the beast. It’s here that you’ll encounter your first Vortex Phantoms which spring forth from nowhere, leading you to engage in some fun zero-grav gun fights which is something I so desperately wanted to see in the base game. It’s hardly a sequence that’ll leave you screeching, but it does tap lightly into the survival horror vein for a sense of atmosphere that I truly appreciated.

That’s about where the ‘horror’ ends though. Yes, the Vortex Phantoms and Horrors continue to appear, and the overall aesthetic of Va’ruun’kai is built around a pretty gothic palette, but the main story missions don’t exactly build atmosphere in the same way as that opening did, and I can’t help but feel that had developers built this DLC around a few more horror tropes, we might have ended up something far more special.

Shattered Space offers up a good time, and shows off just what a great state Starfield is in after the various post-launch updates. It draws players into a thrilling new tale, ending in yet another enormous moral dilemma. Va’ruun’kai is an interesting locale to explore, although the atmosphere is far more ghost town than bustling metropolis. The expansion excels in its cosmic horror fuelled opening that sadly fades out into something that’s far less intense. This expansion, while hardly ground-breaking, reminded me of just why I enjoyed the base game so much in the first place. I only wish this DLC had been a tad bolder in the realisation of its vision.

Pros: Interesting story, great opening, highlights post-launch improvements

Cons: A little safe, could’ve delved into horror genre a tad more or expanded combat

For fans of: Mass Effect, Fallout, Destiny

8/10: Excellent

Starfield: Shattered Space is out now on Xbox Series X/S (version tested) and PC. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.