Bethesda’s first major Starfield expansion delivers a dense, handcrafted world that the base game often lacked.
Overview
Shattered Space takes players to the planet Va’ruun’kai, home of the mysterious House Va’ruun. It is a single, handcrafted world that is refreshingly dense compared to Starfield’s procedurally generated planets.
What Works
The expansion excels at atmosphere. The gothic sci-fi architecture, the unsettling cult storyline, and the tighter quest design all feel like a return to Bethesda’s strengths. The new weapons and armor are visually striking, and the main quest line is genuinely compelling.
What Does Not
Like the base game, combat can feel floaty, and the new world, while dense, is still relatively small by modern RPG standards. Some side quests repeat the same exploration patterns.
Verdict
Shattered Space is the best version of Starfield — a focused, atmospheric adventure that shows what the game could have been. If you bounced off the base game, this is worth a second look.
Score: 8/10 — Great