Shattered Space – Starfield’s First Big Swing

In June, the Xbox Summer Showcase gave gamers a glimpse at a plethora of highly anticipated titles. Thankfully we won’t have to wait too long, as many should be slated for release in 2024/25. Doom: The Dark Ages, Fable, Indiana Jones, and Avowed, all thoroughly piqued my interest. It truly was an excellent showing for the Xbox/Microsoft brand. Despite this, I still had tunnel vision waiting for one thing to rear its head: Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC.

In my case, I purchased the DLC with the preorder of Starfield’s Ultimate Edition. The wait for more details, combined with a slow update rollout, has left me agog. Well, fellow foolhardy customers, we’ve made it. The radio silence surrounding Shattered Space had me feeling like a bonehead, but we’re so back. Starfield is so back.

Va’ruun’s Lore

Since the launch of Starfield in September of last year, the already-named DLC sparked much speculation among players. House Va’ruun’s significant yet insignificant presence in the game’s world led many to assume they would be Shattered Space’s focus. The Xbox Summer Showcase trailer proved this was the correct take on the matter.

For those unfamiliar with the in-universe lore of Starfield, I’ll attempt to give an abridged version of Shattered Space’s featured faction. House Va’ruun is a theocratic society, whose members worship the ‘Great Serpent’. As the story goes, this group was formed as passengers aboard a lost colony ship claimed to witness a snakelike celestial being.

Va’ruun’s Lore, Continued

Initially a peaceful group that wished to spread the good serpent word, their reputation would quickly be tarnished. Leader Jinan Va’ruun would wage a 23-year religious conflict against all factions of the galaxy, known as the Serpent’s Crusade. This war ended when Jinan died, pushing House Va’ruun to sue for peace. Humiliated, beaten, and directionless, House Va’ruun faded into isolation. At the time of events in Starfield’s story, some zealots still skulk the galaxy, hostile to all non-believers.

Without divulging story details, there are a few potential avenues for this DLC to explore. The galactic presence of both regular followers and hostile zealots presents an intriguing narrative dynamic to tackle. In addition, Starfield currently doesn’t let players visit the Va’ruun homeworld of Varuun’kai. With its location shrouded in secrecy, Shattered Space will act as a vehicle for its reveal.

What Was Shown

So, lore aside, what was shown in the expansion’s trailer? Up until now, Starfield has leaned on the clean-cut, ‘NASApunk’ aesthetic for its world. Yes, there are all sorts of crazy alien creatures inhabiting planets. Terrormorphs are as terrifying as the game’s lore makes them out to be. Despite this, we’ve had yet to see zany science fiction reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s.

Panning through shots of a funky Va’ruun world, Starfield finally opens itself up to the wild and the weird. As seen in the trailer, things like celestial beings are present. Nebulous skyboxes, alien anklebiters, and creepy defunct space stations are all part of the show. Religious elements are also touched on, giving insight into House worship practices.

What Was Shown, Continued

In many ways, this video’s contents reminded me of Prey. With this, the tale told here will likely border on cosmic horror with a mystery element. This is great. Expanding the offerings of science fiction flavor throughout the game is much needed. There are already some quasi-horror encounters in Starfield, but this looks to build on that.

Like a few other titles teased at the show, there was no specific release date announced for Shattered Space. A disappointment for sure, but I’m trying to look at this as a glass-half-full moment.

Personal Hopes for Shattered Space

With no release date given, I hope Shattered Space releases alongside a free, ground vehicles update. At this point, you might as well wait to drop a content buckshot. It’s also in Bethesda/Xbox’s interest to schedule this drop away from other titles’ releases. Dropping the same week as, say, Indiana Jones is probably not the best plan to generate interest. Drop something substantial as a freebie and coordinate the hype.

Specific to the add-on’s features, I hope players can join House Va’ruun. Maybe this is a bit of an ask, but I still want it, nonetheless. Being able to join a faction as mysterious as this would be a dream come true for many. Va’ruun weapons, clothing, spacesuits, and spaceships are all so cool. Hell, let us be a zealot and terrorize the galaxy on a crusade. That’s definitely what the Great Serpent would want. Contrary opinions will be deemed heretical.

Well, What’s Next?

While many people (rightfully) anticipated a Va’ruun-related expansion, my mind was elsewhere. I figured that an expansion related to a reignition of the Colony War could be on its way. Or, at the very least, an espionage-focused addition could have us doing more Donnie Brasco. Maybe things just stay cool between the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective. If it were me at Bethesda, though, I’d run with the icy history and find a way to ignite a turf war.

An improvement upon pirates and piracy would be warranted, too. Joining the Crimson Fleet is a fun exercise, but the game never truly feels built for swashbuckling. With your origin story tied to Constellation, an outlaw/evil playthrough never feels welcomed out of the gate. Maybe when the Kryx’s Legacy storyline is completed, a narrative expansion will be introduced to dive deeper into infamy. An option for an alternate, piracy-ready game start that doesn’t involve Constellation? I’m a true pirate apologist, space needs more anarchy!

What’s Next, Continued

Lastly, I think Starfield could benefit from some outpost tweaks. As it stands right now, they only really serve a very specific type of playthrough. A straight-and-narrow Constellation scientist playthrough lends itself well to their amenities. A character based around galactic commerce can also make good use of them. But what about pirates, rangers, or bounty hunters? The NASApunk aesthetic is so clean, that it makes outposts feel out of place for some of my characters.

What about making a run-down pirate pub? Or a place of worship for the great snake in the sky? Building options should be as much about immersion as they are about utility. I know mods can (and will) address these qualms I have. However, in a game so gigantic, Bethesda should put in some work to make other lifestyles feel natural. Not everyone wants to feel like a Constellation fixture, just as not everyone wants to be Dragonborn.

It is also worth noting that Todd Howard confirmed that expansions will be coming to the game, potentially yearly even, according to recent statements made during an interview with MrMattyPlays.

Still on Standby

Glass-half-full or not, Shattered Space’s date of arrival is still undetermined. I can’t see Bethesda waiting past October to release, but anything is possible. If anything, dropping around Halloween would play into the hand of a shot of spooky new content. In any case, it’s clear that the development team still has a lot of work ahead of them. Making good on delivering a long-awaited expansion is only the first step in building up Starfield’s foundation.