I think it’s fair to say that most wouldn’t exactly call Starfield a bad game. It had (has?) its moments, but it’s generally a bit “meh.” Even if you do really like it, it’s certainly a far cry from what Todd Howard (and, indeed, Bethesda on the whole) was pushing for in terms of the next big thing from the Skyrim studio.
However, the team is sticking with it, and the first major DLC for the game is coming soon. Shattered Space (which launches September 30) will have a shorter, more focused narrative, while also leaning towards a horror vibe and, according to a recent post from Xbox Wire, it’ll be akin to “classic Bethesda.”
While we should always be cautious when it comes to marketing hype, it’s been suggested that the DLC will be more in line with the likes of the expansions for Elder Scrolls and Fallout. More specifically, Shattered Space will be a “self-contained story that plays with tone and mechanics that the main game didn’t.” Make of that what you will.
To boldly say
I must admit, I do quite like the look of the trailer, though I can’t help but get a slight whiff of Prey from it. Not that that’s a bad thing, of course. We won’t know how good the DLC is until it actually drops, so it’s hard to say whether it’ll give a bit of a boost to Starfield overall.
It’s a shame it didn’t live up to expectations. Currently, the game is showing as “mixed” for reviews on Steam. As I say, it’s not bad. It’s just not great, either. For many (myself included), it was a question of waning interest. Considering the story was supposed to be about humanity’s search for the biggest answers in the universe, it was somewhat forgettable.
Visually, Starfield is pretty spectacular, and it’s one of the least egregious Bethesda games in terms of bugs. However, that’s not the boast the studio likely thinks it is. Skyrim is riddled with glitches, yet it remains one of the most consistently fun and successful RPGs in recent memory.
Shattered Space could breathe a bit of new life into Starfield if it has a tight story that keeps players hooked. I mean, at the moment, SteamDB is showing the game at position 153 (ironically, one above Fallout 76 at the time of writing) in terms of the most played games on PC. I know it’s been out for almost a year, but that’s not what many of us were expecting for a sci-fi epic that was 25 years in the making.
Published: Aug 23, 2024 09:54 am