Starfield's Shattered Space Expansion Launches This Month, Features "Handcrafted" Locations And New Enemies

As a seasoned spacefarer who’s traversed countless galaxies and witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, I must say, Bethesda has truly outdone themselves with the Starfield: Shattered Space expansion! The sheer mystery and intrigue surrounding House Va’ruun have always piqued my interest, and this self-contained adventure promises to satiate that curiosity like no other.


Approximately a year since its debut, Bethesda has unveiled a more detailed glimpse at the upcoming DLC for Starfield, titled Shattered Space Expansion. A detailed nine-minute video was uploaded to their YouTube channel, offering players an initial sneak peek into the expansion’s offerings. The trailer also disclosed the expansion’s release date: October 30th.

Centering around the storyline of one of the most captivating factions from the original game, House Va’ruun, Shattered Space primarily stands alone as a thrilling journey. According to Bethesda, this tale unfolds entirely on the planetary home of House Va’ruun, known as Va’ruun’kai, and its capital city, Dazra.

Lead producer Joe Mueller mentioned that while Starfield’s vast open galaxy captivates us, we always intended to add smaller, intricately designed locations reminiscent of our previous expansions. He expressed great fascination with House Va’Ruun and their isolation, which made them an ideal faction for a standalone exploration experience due to their self-imposed seclusion.

As soon as you set foot on Va’ruun’kai, the narrative keeps you grounded here, according to lead creative producer Tim Lamb. Although you’re always welcome to depart whenever you wish, the tale primarily focuses on the life and events unfolding on the Va’ruun homeworld.

As I delve into each new discovery, explore every corner, and pursue each side quest, I can’t help but piece together the tale of this place – a testament to the resilience of the Va’ruun people, who have managed to endure, isolated from the luxuries of the Settled Systems and the broader human civilization. Mueller emphasized this point.

Starfield's Shattered Space Expansion Launches This Month, Features "Handcrafted" Locations And New Enemies

Players find themselves on Va’ruun’kai following a devastating catastrophe, which has sent this secretive civilization spiraling into turmoil and disarray in Shattered Space.

In the core game, we continually explore the human quest for knowledge, as stated by lead designer Brian Chapin. The spin-off, Shattered Space, delves deeper into this theme, focusing on the repercussions when this pursuit becomes excessive. Before the commencement of Shattered Space, an illicit Grave-Drive experiment conducted by House Va’ruun went disastrously awry, leading to dire consequences for its people.

According to design director and writer Emil Pagliarulo, the storyline of this expansion features a catastrophic rift in space-time that devoured a large area of the Va’ruun capital, Dazra. This event is known as the Vortex Incident, and it occurred recently. The city still bears the scars of destruction, with a huge crater marking the site and reconstruction efforts yet to begin. Many residents are still searching for their missing family members.

Beyond the colossal crater, the inhabitants of Va’ruun are grappling with further predicaments. Following an unfortunate turn of events during the Grav-Drive test, The Scaled Citadel – the stronghold of House Va’ruun’s ruling power – found itself ensnared within a perplexing energy field. Moreover, Anasko Va’ruun, the voice for the Great Serpent and leader of House Va’ruun, has mysteriously vanished. This disappearance has left a power gap, with each of the smaller factions within House Var’uun vying for control over the now-wrecked Va’ruun homeworld, its government, and its destiny. As players delve deeper into the story and traverse Va’ruun’kai, they will encounter various sub-factions of House Va’ruun, and it seems that the outcome and future of House Va’ruun and its homeworld depend on the player’s actions.

Starfield's Shattered Space Expansion Launches This Month, Features "Handcrafted" Locations And New Enemies

As a devoted admirer, I can confidently say that Va’ruun’kai and Dazra City stand out uniquely among the locales presented in the base game of Shattered Space, according to art director Istvan Pely. These environments are visually captivating and boast a vibrancy that is hard to find in many other locations within the chronically desaturated Settled Systems.

According to creative lead Alan Nanes, Va’ruun’kai stands out with a unique, almost alien-like visual identity. This is evident in its otherworldly terrain, peculiar gravitational effects, and many other aspects.

It appears that by “gravity anomalies,” Nanes might be referring to “occasions when gravity behaves abnormally or seemingly ceases to function,” as suggested by the trailer’s depiction of floating bodies and scenes of zero-gravity combat.

Because of a rip in the fabric of space-time, bizarre beings are seeping through from another dimension into Va’ruun’kai, forcing players to adjust their strategies. Bethesda aimed to take advantage of Shattered Space by intensifying battles and introducing more than 50 fresh creatures (including a mysterious alien race known as “Horrors”).

Starfield's Shattered Space Expansion Launches This Month, Features "Handcrafted" Locations And New Enemies

In some scenarios, certain beings may lay traps, and the trailer showcases a lengthy segment of the protagonist battling a swarm of creatures reminiscent of Xenomorphs, known as Cavern Bonecrests. The Queen of these Bonecrests seems particularly menacing, potentially causing trouble for those who are not prepared. However, the planet also hosts ordinary Spacers, Va’ruun Zealots, and Crimson Fleet pirates, offering players opportunities to engage in combat as they work towards discovering the cause behind House Va’ruun’s decline, bringing peace to its quarreling factions, and determining its destiny.

The expansion for Starfield’s Shattered Space titled “Launch” is set to debut on September 30 and can be bought for $30 USD. Notably, those who have already invested in the $100 Premium Edition of Starfield will receive this expansion at no cost on its release day.

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2024-09-17 00:09