Comeback kid stories in gaming may not be rare, but CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077is one of the most memorable on record. The developer turned the fortunes of its horrid launch around with slightly incremental improvements and finally through an impressive expansion inPhantom Libertylast year. The surge inCyberpunk 2077’s player count in the aftermath of the DLCreaffirmed an unspoken belief in the industry – additional content, if done right, can completely revolutionize a game’s outlook. However, whilePhantom Liberty’s achievements are now viewed as the golden standard, not all DLCs need to live up to their savior billing. InStarfield’s case, whileShattered Spaceshould continue the base game’s good work, it’s one of those that doesn’t need the burden ofPhantom Liberty-esque expectations.
There’s hardly a Bethesda game that doesn’t have some form of post-launch content, so the developer’s announcement ofStarfield’s DLC at Summer Game Fest 2024 surprised few.Shattered Spaceis primarily concerned with furthering the intergalactic tale thatStarfield’s base game began, as opposed to bug fixes. With that in mind,Shattered Spacedoesn’t necessarily have to break new ground and become Bethesda’s version ofPhantom Liberty.
Phantom Liberty And Shattered Space Have Different Contexts Behind Their Release
One of the marked differences in expectations forPhantom LibertyandShattered Spaceis the meta of the base game the expansions have to spruce up. WhileStarfield’s launch wasn’t free of its fair share of performance issues and nagging bugs, Bethesda didn’t experience even a fraction of the heat CD Projekt Red came under forCyberpunk 2077.
Such was the urgency of the latter’s situation that Sony pulled the game from its PlayStation Store and offered refunds on purchases, highlighting the extent of criticismCyberpunk 2077faced.
Given the disastrous launch, everything was on the line for the developer, and thePhantom Libertyupdate needed to overhaul almost the entire base game. The process took nearly three years to complete, asPhantom Libertyrevamped several core mechanicsin addition to new content and playable areas. DLCs are traditionally viewed as extra material, but inCyberpunk 2077’s case, it became a redemption story and a second chance to deliver on its original vision.
Starfield’s Launch Reaction Gave Bethesda the Platform to Gradually Improve, Not Overhaul
Starfield, on the other hand, had a smooth ride compared to its CD Projekt Red counterpart. Granted, it had a lot of mixed reviews, although that was to be expected given the ambitious heights Bethesda was attempting to scale. While criticism surrounded its navigation mechanics, maps, and a perceived lack of content in several of its planets, minute details likeVasco the robot companion’s near-human interactionsformed slivers of light amidst the clouds of annoyance that Bethesda could build upon.
As a result, Bethesda didn’t have to don a firefighter brigade approach to stop its prized ship from sinking the way CD Projekt Red was required to. WherePhantom Libertywas a herculean make-or-break effort,Starfieldcan afford to incrementally improve its experience with its DLCs – as the post-launch gimmick was initially intended. Even beforeShattered Space’s public announcement, updates had elevated the base game’s offerings considerably.
Bethesda’s Piecemeal Approach To Addressing Issues Eliminates the Need for a Phantom Liberty Encore
For example, one of the community’s earlycomplaints aboutStarfieldwas the lack of a detailed mapand the complexity of planet exploration. In response, Bethesda released an updated map with new features like 3D renders of interior spaces and markers for locations of interest like shops, giving players the option of fast traveling to them. This addition was a significant quality-of-life improvement over the uninformative swarm of blue dots that previously dominated the map.
Bethesda also introduced the REV-8, the firstland vehicle inStarfield, which addressed the bulk of the planet exploration issues players encountered by traversing on foot. With the developer’s piecemeal approach to fixingStarfield’s issues in full glare, there’s hardly any pressure onShattered Spaceto perform in any capacity other than story-building. Instead, it can focus on enrichingStarfield’s lore as players make their way to Va’ruun’kai to uncover the mysteries of House Va’ruun.
Additionally, there are also hints of more Starfield DLCs planned in the future, so the weight of expectations for improvements should be distributed evenly, instead of resting squarely on Shattered Space’s shoulders, akin to Phantom Liberty.
Starfield: Shattered Space
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Shattered Space is the first upcoming DLC for Bethedsa’s space RPG Starfield, due Fall 2024. It expands the core story, adding a horror-like twist as players head to the homeworld of House Va’ruun.
