After the quick-journey extravaganza that was Starfield’s base marketing campaign, I very a lot approve of the best way its Shattered Space DLC course-corrects to make the brand new Va’ruun homeworld location really feel far more like Bethesda’s earlier open worlds. This planet is host to a considerable chunk of recent quest content material revolving round a protracted-winded however not uninteresting story a few futuristic theocracy that dangerously mingles science and faith regardless of their apparent battle. That mentioned, this primary growth isn’t terribly bold, both. It doesn’t introduce any vital new options that refresh something you’ll do when you hop in your ship and depart this planet in a method much like, say, the Dragonborn growth did for Skyrim. Not each growth will be so daring, after all, however those who aren’t miss a possibility to depart a long-lasting, revitalizing mark on a replay of a giant RPG like this, and restrict themselves to a flash within the pan.
After dusting off my save, my degree 46 Starborn handed by the Unity, grabbed Sarah from the Constellation Lodge, ran by the Mantis mission to attain a ship, did a few temples, after which dove into the DLC – which turned out to be simple to seek out as a result of it reveals up the subsequent time you go artifact searching. The ominously spooky house station you start on makes some good use of zero-G fight by including glowing blue partitions that, in the event you’re propelled backwards into them by gunfire, each deal injury and disorientingly teleport you, so that you’ve acquired to concentrate on what’s behind you while you open hearth.
That’s the place we’re launched to the Phantom menace: these new enemies aren’t ghosts, however their spooky blue vitality subject and glowing eyes certain makes them look the half (and straightforward to identify from a distance) till it dissipates while you kill them, which is a notably cool impact. They are often each novel and annoying to struggle: Not solely are they usually excessive degree and thus fairly bullet spongey, they will teleport at will to each reposition while you’ve drawn a bead on them and likewise land proper behind you with a giant honkin’ knife. Listening for the whoosh sound impact of 1 popping into and out of existence will be your solely warning earlier than your well being bar takes a giant hit (particularly a little bit afterward while you may flip round and see the native equal of a Terrormorph tapping in your shoulder).
The floaty half doesn’t overstay its welcome, and while you get your boots again on the bottom it’s not lengthy earlier than you’re whisked to the Va’ruun homeworld, which was saved conspicuously mysterious in Starfield’s marketing campaign at launch. I did need to chortle when the notoriously reclusive and xenophobic group instantly invited me to not solely stroll freely amongst them, however totally convert to their faith. That’s very a lot a Bethesda factor, the place everyone helps you to join and no faction affiliations are mutually unique, however after enjoying the principle marketing campaign it was a little bit foolish to seek out them so welcoming, even given the extraordinary circumstances offered.
You wouldn’t mistake their metropolis, Dazra, for any of the others in Starfield. For one factor, the purple-tinged structure is totally completely different and far more alien wanting, though the Va’ruun themselves are nonetheless human underneath all their face ink, and so they solely speak like they’re vampires on What We Do within the Shadows. (Finishing the principle quest helps you to use their buildings in your individual settlements.) Additionally, half of town was destroyed in a catastrophic accident that left a bizarre and twisted crater so large you’ll be able to solely actually get a way of it by wanting on the map (they’ve maps now!), and the inhabitants are nonetheless recovering from what appears like a Thanos snap-like lack of life. It’s a compelling setting, although I’ll say that the surviving half of Dazra seems a little bit too clear and orderly to actually promote this as a catastrophe zone, though it’s all anyone’s speaking about.
Attending to know the Va’ruun and the factions inside its bizarre house theocracy clearly means listening to a excessive dose of non secular lore involving a big serpent. It’s all written and delivered as much as Bethesda’s requirements, however it may be rather a lot while you’re staying immersed in it for this lengthy. Don’t fear, although – none of this shall be on the take a look at, and in the long term it’s no match for a great blaster at your aspect.
Your quest to convey the three factions collectively to resolve the continuing disaster takes place fully in Dazra’s surrounding area, which is notably completely different from the opposite essential faction quest cities. Reasonably than sending you to your ship to zip off to errands on different planets, when you attain the Va’ruun homeworld you’re by no means required to journey anyplace else – not even flying to a different touchdown zone on the identical planet – to finish each single quest you will discover there. The one time I left within the 12 hours it took to beat the principle story and each main sidequest I got here throughout was after I hopped in my Razorleaf to buy groceries within the Settled Methods for therapeutic gadgets, that are onerous to come back by on this planet with out sleeping for days at a time ready for the native physician to restock. (Satirically, in the event you took the Serpent’s Embrace trait that claims you grew up training the Va’ruun faith, your character will undergo a stat penalty for not doing grav jumps ceaselessly sufficient.)
As an alternative, you both drive the just lately patched-in rover automobile to every quest location across the Dazra or simply hoof it the previous-usual method, which I discovered refreshing. Many of the essential Starfield quests felt indifferent and disjointed due to all of the planet-hopping and quick-touring to new areas, however right here we get a extra conventional Bethesda sense of place and continuity. We see a number of significant areas current on the identical close to-seamless chunk of extraterrestrial actual property as a substitute of 1 necessary factor and a bunch of procedurally generated filler. I additionally like how the crater is crammed with gravity distortion bubbles, which I truly want have been used extra usually to actually distinguish this planet from others and allow you to float to in any other case unreachable areas.
However, this down-to-earth method makes Shattered Space extraordinarily targeted in the best way it expands on Starfield, to the purpose the place there’s zero use of interstellar journey or house fight. So far as I can inform there’s completely nothing added for spacefarers apart from now you’ve gotten a option to legitimately purchase Va’ruun ships as a substitute of stealing them from Zealots who assault you in house. That’s high quality, as an growth doesn’t at all times need to meaningfully increase each facet of a sport – however I used to be shocked that there wasn’t at the least a token function thrown in for house jockeys in an growth with “house” within the title.
Certain, nearly all of these quests really feel like Starfield-flavored rewrites of issues I’ve finished earlier than in Fallout or Elder Scrolls video games, however there’s nothing mistaken with a celebrated band enjoying the hits. Observe down the fugitive and determine whether or not to kill him or assist him faux his loss of life? Test. Root out the traitor diverting emergency provides to the Zealots and determine whether or not to show them in or take a bribe? Test. Rescue the hostages and determine whether or not to double-cross somebody? Test.
So far as loot goes, there are a handful of recent weapons to get your palms on, and though they’re principally simply the Va’ruun’s tackle weapon varieties we have already got, there’s nothing to dislike about extra selection, each of their cumbersome visible design and their splashy vitality results. There are additionally some craftable grenades you may make out of items of defeated Phantoms. Once more, although, it’s a little bit disappointing that they’re unlikely to alter a lot about the best way you’ll play while you depart this planet.
Because the mainstream Va’ruun themselves grow to be typically alright of us, simply as Andreja promised, you don’t spend a lot time capturing at them. As an alternative, there are a good variety of Zealots (together with a really beefy new armored melee sort) and the occasional generic spacers to struggle with a view to combine issues up from tangling with Phantoms. I often play on onerous problem as a result of regular is a cakewalk, and practically every little thing was very manageable in Shattered Space. I say “practically” as a result of I did find yourself turning it again all the way down to regular for the ultimate battle – however that was principally so I didn’t have to purchase each well being pack within the Settled Methods earlier than making an attempt it once more, as a result of not taking injury in that firefight is sort of difficult.
Lastly, I’ve to present Shattered Space a little bit credit score for giving me a great motive to return to Starfield and get a really feel for the way it works with the entire enhancements Bethesda’s made previously 12 months. The maps and the automobile actually do make a considerable distinction in inconveniences I needed to overcome to take pleasure in the principle marketing campaign, and though the stock continues to be dangerous and the temples stay maddeningly repetitive (and with a Bethesda sport, it ought to go with out saying there are nonetheless loads of bugs, new and previous) these enhancements have gone a great distance towards making this a sport I’m glad I took the time to revisit.