Starfield: Shattered Space Review - A Scientific Space Slog That Fails To Launch

Entering the purple atmosphere of the mysterious Va'ruun'kai should have felt like something truly special, but DLC feels more like a scientific space slog that fails to launch, rather than a groundbreaking new entry in the story. Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, the shroud of choice in a fairly linear narrative, marred by a lack of any chance-taking or anything new and exciting, leaves the first expansion for the epic space adventure an underwhelming endeavor and a reason to pause for anyone who doesn't already own the deluxe edition.

Delving into the world of the Va'ruun showcased where is weak. Upon journeying into a random star system, players will encounter a derelict spaceship called the Oracle, with a distress call coming from the ship. Throughout the playthrough, players must navigate between three leading Va'ruun factions, House Veth'aal, Dul'kehf, and Ka'dic, in what feels like a fairly tired and redundant Bethesda trope that fails to capture the magic of the company's previous DLC.

expands upon one of the biggest mysteries of the base game: the enigmatic Va'ruun faction. Encounters with the religious zealots were numerous in the base game of, but it was the only major faction missing a home base. With, the faction is introduced via the revelation of the planet of Va'ruun'kai and the capital city of Dazra — the (somehow) hidden home planet and capital city for the worshippers of the Great Serpent.

In terms of new items, QoL changes, or even memorable characters, truly doesn't deliver. Early teasers that promised an improved melee system failed to materialize beyond a few added weapons and tiers (something that arguably should have already been in the base game). Though there are some cool Void grenades and Va'ruun weaponry, it's nothing truly groundbreaking, or even new, with similar Starborn powers already in the game. What does deliver is new and unique handcrafted environments, a host of NPCs, and missions revolving around the Va'ruun.

Although a