Bethesda's highly anticipated first expansion for Starfield, Shattered Space, has arrived with a mix of improvements and disappointments. While the DLC aims to inject new life into the space-faring RPG, early player reactions suggest it may not be enough to significantly boost the game's declining player base.
Morrowind-inspired design fails to captivate
In a recent interview, Starfield's design director Emil Pagliarulo revealed that the team drew inspiration from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, widely considered one of Bethesda's greatest achievements. The expansion focuses on the mysterious House Va'Ruun and its capital city of Dazra, attempting to capture the celestial horror and cultural complexity that made Morrowind so memorable.
Despite these lofty ambitions, Steam reviews for Shattered Space currently sit at a lukewarm Mixed rating, with only 43% positive reviews at the time of writing. Many players express frustration that the DLC offers more of the same rather than addressing core issues with the base game.
Key features and fixes
Shattered Space introduces:
- A new storyline involving space cultists
- The city of Dazra, described as more detailed than previous locations
- Re-skinned weapons and clothing
Additionally, the accompanying Update 1.14.70 brings several important fixes:
- Removed the 255 plugin limit for mods, preventing game-breaking issues
- Fixed Annihilator Rounds damaging companions unintentionally
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| The armored figures represent the new characters introduced in Starfield's Shattered Space expansion, embodying the expansion's sci-fi themes and new storyline elements |
Player engagement remains a challenge
Despite the new content, Starfield's player count on Steam has seen only a modest increase. The 24-hour peak of 21,792 players represents a 54% rise from pre-DLC numbers but falls far short of the game's all-time peak of 330,723 players.
While some players praise the improved dialogue options and visual design of new areas, others criticize the DLC's value proposition, especially when compared to expansions like Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
As Bethesda continues to support and expand Starfield, it remains to be seen whether future updates and content can recapture the magic of their most beloved titles and win back a larger portion of the player base.