Starfield’s Shattered Space: Why Its Length Makes It Feel Like It Could Have Been an Email

Starfield’s DLC, Shattered Space, was disappointingly short and inconsequential for my liking. Priced at $29.99, it offers a limited journey through the House Va’ruun, feeling more like an elaborated side quest than a comprehensive expansion.

In Shattered Space, players embark on a cosmic adventure within the fascinating world of the House Va’ruun, a mysterious religious faction fixated on the foreboding Great Serpent.

The adventure begins with a distress signal from a space station that, similar to your motivation midway through the DLC, seems a bit aimless. You land on Va’ruun’kai, the nucleus of House Va’ruun, where your mission is to investigate a catastrophic incident that devastated much of Dazra, the faction’s capital.

This DLC promises to delve deeper into the lore surrounding the Va’ruun, examining its founders and leaders while presenting new characters and antagonists. Although the environment is magnificent and obviously crafted with care, the main narrative feels lacking, providing mere hints of depth when players desire a fully fleshed-out experience.

How long is Starfield Shattered Space DLC?

Unfortunately, the storyline remains disappointingly shallow. I spent around 10 hours completing Shattered Space.

However, if you could magically streamline the menu navigation and minimize the aimless planet-hopping, you might barely complete it in 5 hours.

For a Bethesda DLC, that duration might seem acceptable. Yet, in today’s gaming environment, where we witness DLCs like Shadow of the Erdtree and Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty offering 25+ hours of gameplay for a similar price, Shattered Space simply falls short.

Throughout those ten hours, I engaged in errands across the galaxy, interacting with some poorly developed mini factions (Houses) that lacked true engagement. They simply don’t hold the uniqueness of the space pirates from the Crimson Fleet or the stealthy megacorp tactics of Ryujin Industries.

More meat on the bone, please

Unlocking the Armory in Shattered Space — Source: Dexerto/Bethesda

Shattered Space features 7 main quests and 10 side quests. Players can expect a few hours of gameplay, where you will discuss matters with mini-faction leaders, investigate some calamities, and experience more traversal than genuine tension.

While Dazra’s aesthetic is commendable, its surface-level charm quickly fades.

What’s particularly frustrating is that Shattered Space doesn’t even present the most captivating content available in Starfield. In fact, I contend that several side quests from the base game, particularly Operation Starseed, offer more intrigue, depth, and consequence than this DLC.

During Operation Starseed, you’re drawn into a compelling narrative filled with historical clones and ethical dilemmas that challenge your decision-making in thrilling ways.

You navigate through conflicts between factions led by historical figures like Genghis Khan and Ada Lovelace, making choices that truly matter.

In that quest, the weight of your decisions is palpable, unlike in Shattered Space, where the factions you encounter are as memorable as last week’s leftovers.

A soft landing

Starfield effigy Shattered Space quest — Source: Bethesda / Dexerto

Everything you do is perfectly adequate but not particularly DLC material. You’ll encounter some decent characters in Dazra and handle a few unimpressive tasks for them, whether in a cave or some abandoned lab on the outskirts.

Eventually, you’ll accumulate enough points to engage in the final mission, which results in a rather underwhelming confrontation against Zealots and Phantoms, culminating in an inevitable showdown with the Speaker. Spoiler alert: if you falter, it’s back to the last checkpoint for you!

You’ll earn their trust until you finally launch the last mission, which offers a lackluster encounter against Zealots and Phantoms, culminating in that inevitable confrontation with the Speaker.

Failing here isn’t an option, even if Bethesda makes it seem like one. You’ll be returned to the last checkpoint and left to ponder your choices.

It’s difficult not to perceive this as cut content instead of an expansive narrative journey.

Ultimately, the choices in Shattered Space lack the weight of the moral dilemmas encountered in the main game.

By the conclusion of the Shattered Space campaign, you can opt to initiate the infamous Serpent Crusade, aimed at eradicating any beings in the Settled System unwilling to submit to the Va’ruun’s beliefs.

This is a choice that the game readily offers you – it encapsulates what every step in your journey through the DLC signifies. The logical and morally sound choice is to reject it, stating, “No, that’s insane; let’s not.” But what if you’re on an evil playthrough and are not ready to annihilate every NPC you’ve encountered – purely out of curiosity?

Regrettably, I must inform you – nothing occurs. It’s all a façade. You’re left with a bunch of NPCs shrugging in disbelief, while your ambitious plans evaporate into the cosmic void. If Andreja is your chosen companion during this time, she’ll remind you that the first Crusade took a decade to orchestrate. And knowing how this game unfolds, you’ll grasp that none of your endeavors in this DLC hold any significance.

In summary, while Shattered Space presents a gorgeous new locale and some fresh lore, it ultimately feels quite inconsequential.

Handcrafting this planet and every location is no simple task. However, the lack of meaningful content in this DLC raises questions about its overall value.

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