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Starfield: Shattered Space

Name: Comprehensive Review and Analysis of Starfield: Shattered Space
Item: Starfield: Shattered Space
Author: Monster Critic Editorial Team

2024

GenresAdventure, Third Person Perspective, Shooter, RPG, Single Player, First Person Perspective

AvailableSep 30, 2024

PlatformXbox Series X

DeveloperBethesda Game Studios

Overview

This will be the first story expansion to Starfield. This DLC is bundled with Premium Edition (digital), Premium Edition Upgrade (digital), Premium Edition Upgrade (physical), and Constellation Edition of Starfield.

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Game analysis

Monster Scorecard

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Story and Narrative

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TL;DR

Critics have mixed feelings about Starfield: Shattered Space. Some praise its emotional depth and engaging side quests, while others criticize its forced main story and uninteresting characters. The game offers positives like lore exploration and tough decisions, but falls short in narrative cohesion and captivating elements. Overall, opinions vary on the storytelling, with room for improvement to enhance the player experience.

SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR STORY

Story Score

Positive Reviews (80-100)

29%

Mixed Reviews (50-79)

43%

Negative Reviews (0-49)

29%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the story and narrative.

The opinions of the critics on the story of Starfield: Shattered Space offer a mixed bag of positives and negatives. Critics like But Why Tho? and Hey Poor Player appreciate the emotional depth and engaging side quests that provide smaller, intimate stories within the game. Hey Poor Player also commends the exploration of the lore of House Va'ruun, a religious sect, through a fairly standard but engaging quest line. Windows Central highlights the introduction of tough decisions and ruthless choices in the new story focusing on House Va'ruun, adding depth to the narrative. On the flip side, critics such as CGMagazine and GamesRadar+ criticize the main story for feeling forced and disconnected from the larger narrative. GamesRadar+ points out the disappointment in the shift from a promising horror-like atmosphere to a focus on political infighting, failing to deliver on the unsettling atmosphere initially established. Metro GameCentral is particularly harsh, describing the DLC's story as weak, unengaging, featuring stilted conversations, and uninteresting characters, ultimately lacking engagement and failing to captivate players. Pure Xbox echoes this sentiment, noting the narrative expansion as average and lacking in exciting new elements to captivate players. Overall, the consensus among the critics leans towards a mixed reception of the story in Starfield: Shattered Space. While there are positive aspects such as emotional depth in side quests, exploration of lore, and tough decision-making highlighted by some critics, the negative aspects like a disjointed main narrative, lack of engaging elements, and uninteresting characters are also prevalent in the reviews. The varying opinions suggest that while the game has its strengths in storytelling elements, there are significant areas where improvements could enhance the overall experience for players.

TL;DR

story and narrative

Gameplay Mechanics

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TL;DR

Critics praise Starfield: Shattered Space for its freedom to shape your own space cowboy identity, engaging side quests, and challenging combat. However, there are criticisms about poor design, lack of innovation, and repetitive gameplay. While the game offers enjoyable exploration and quests, it struggles to stand out with fresh mechanics or a truly unique identity.

SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR GAMEPLAY

Gameplay Score

Positive Reviews (80-100)

14%

Mixed Reviews (50-79)

57%

Negative Reviews (0-49)

29%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the gameplay mechanics.

The gameplay of Starfield: Shattered Space has garnered praise from critics for offering players the freedom to carve out their own identity in a space cowboy setting, as mentioned by But Why Tho?. The inclusion of meaningful side quests and the ability to tailor difficulty to one's playstyle have been highlighted as positive aspects. Additionally, GamesRadar+ commends the game for providing plenty of exploration opportunities, memorable side quests, and challenging combat against unique enemies like Vortex Phantoms and Vortex Horrors. Windows Central also appreciates the shift towards a more focused exploration of handcrafted locations, reminiscent of popular titles like Elder Scrolls and Fallout, with fun quests and meaningful level design. On the flip side, several critics have pointed out various negatives in the gameplay of Starfield: Shattered Space. CGMagazine criticizes the poor design elements, including frustrating level navigation and underwhelming questlines that feel contrived and inconsequential. Metro GameCentral describes the gameplay as mediocre, citing the lack of notable new weapons or enemies, repetitive combat, and lackluster exploration. Pure Xbox criticizes the DLC for lacking meaningful changes, surprises, or new mechanics, despite the core shooting and exploring being enjoyable. Overall, the consensus among critics regarding the gameplay of Starfield: Shattered Space is mixed. While there are positives such as the freedom to carve out one's identity, meaningful side quests, and enjoyable core shooting and exploration, there are also significant drawbacks like poor design choices, repetitive combat, and lack of innovation in gameplay mechanics. The game seems to excel in providing exploration opportunities and fun quests but falls short in delivering a truly groundbreaking experience that sets it apart from other similar titles. The attempt to emulate older games like Skyrim, as noted by Metro GameCentral, may have hindered the game's ability to establish its own unique identity in the gaming landscape.

TL;DR

gameplay mechanics

Graphics and Visual Design

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TL;DR

Critics praise Starfield: Shattered Space for stunning art direction and immersive world-building on new planets, but raise concerns about performance issues and lack of variety in environments. Overall, opinions lean towards the positive side, with room for improvement noted in certain areas.

SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR VISUALS

Visual Score

Positive Reviews (80-100)

14%

Mixed Reviews (50-79)

71%

Negative Reviews (0-49)

14%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the graphics and visual design.

In analyzing the opinions of the critics regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Starfield: Shattered Space, there is a consensus among several reviewers on the positive aspects of the game. Critics such as Windows Central and But Why Tho? commend the game for its stunning art direction and visually appealing environments. The detailed and immersive world-building of new planets like Darza and Va'ruun'kai are highlighted as visually gorgeous and captivating, with distinct architecture and alien creatures adding to the overall immersive experience. The design of specific locations such as Dazra city and the new map are praised for their uniqueness and visual appeal. On the other hand, there are notable criticisms raised by critics like CGMagazine and Metro GameCentral regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Starfield: Shattered Space. Performance issues, including framerate drops in open areas and indoor spaces lacking distinctiveness, are mentioned as detracting from the overall visual experience. The DLC's near monochrome color palette, particularly the overwhelming use of purple in Va'ruun'kai, is criticized for being potentially an eyesore and contributing to a lack of variety in environments due to the game being set on a single planet. Overall, while there are mixed opinions on certain aspects of the Graphics and Visual Design of Starfield: Shattered Space, the consensus among the critics leans towards the positive side. The game is praised for its stunning art direction, detailed world-building, and visually appealing environments by critics like Windows Central and But Why Tho?. However, criticisms regarding performance issues, lack of variety in environments, and the overwhelming use of a monochrome color palette in the DLC are noted by critics such as CGMagazine and Metro GameCentral. Despite these drawbacks, the overall sentiment suggests that the game's Graphics and Visual Design are a strong point, with room for improvement in certain areas to enhance the overall visual experience for players.

TL;DR

graphics and visual design

Music and Sound Design

Analysis Unavailable

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TL;DR

music and sound design

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Voice Acting

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TL;DR

voice acting

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Technical Performance

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TL;DR

technical performance

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Replay Value

Analysis Unavailable

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TL;DR

replay value

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Overall Verdict

MONSTER

OVERALL SCORE DISTRIBUTION

Monster Score

Positive Reviews (80-100)

17%

Mixed Reviews (50-79)

74%

Negative Reviews (0-49)

Based on analyzing all available reviews that scored and critiqued the game.

In Starfield: Shattered Space, several critics highlighted positive aspects of the game. But Why Tho? praised the emotional depth in side quests and flexibility in gameplay, catering to fans seeking a story-driven experience. Windows Central also commended the art direction, intriguing main quest, and the return to handcrafted locations, providing a fun experience for players. These elements contribute to the game's appeal and offer engaging content for those interested in exploring a new society and lore. However, the game faced criticism from various reviewers. CGMagazine pointed out performance issues, clunky quests, and underwhelming execution, falling short of Bethesda's high standards. Metro GameCentral expressed disappointment, describing the DLC as magnifying the failings of the parent game with a boring story, uninteresting characters, lackluster gameplay, and a distressing amount of bugs. Pure Xbox echoed this sentiment, labeling Starfield: Shattered Space as a big disappointment that failed to enhance the base game experience as expected. Overall, the consensus among the critics is mixed regarding Starfield: Shattered Space. While it offers engaging lore exploration, emotional depth in side quests, and intriguing main quests, the game falls short in terms of performance issues, underwhelming execution, and lack of innovation. Some critics like GamesRadar+ appreciated the exploration and challenging enemies, while others like Hey Poor Player and Pure Xbox felt that the game did not meet expectations and may not justify its price. The general sentiment suggests that while Starfield: Shattered Space has its merits, it struggles to fully deliver on its potential and satisfy the varied expectations of players and critics alike.

TL;DR

Critics praise Starfield: Shattered Space for emotional depth, flexible gameplay, and captivating lore. However, the game falls short with performance issues, clunky quests, and lackluster execution, failing to meet expectations. While some enjoy the exploration and challenging enemies, others find it disappointing and overpriced. Overall, the game offers engaging content but struggles to fully deliver on its potential.

MONSTER

Reviews

55 reviews found

Windows Central

Xbox Series X

Oct 4, 2024

AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details

Starfield: Shattered Space is praised for its art direction, intriguing main quest, and return to handcrafted locations, but criticized for its notable price tag and lack of new enemies. Despite some flaws, it offers a fun experience worth checking out.

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But Why Tho?

Xbox Series X

Oct 7, 2024

AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details

Starfield: Shattered Space is a solid addition for fans seeking a story-driven experience and the opportunity to explore a new society, but may not meet expectations for major gameplay shifts. It offers emotional depth in side quests and flexibility in gameplay, making it worth playing, especially for returning players.

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Hey Poor Player

Xbox Series X

Oct 7, 2024

AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details

Starfield: Shattered Space offers engaging lore exploration and quests, but lacks significant innovation and may not justify its price for all players. Fans of Starfield should consider checking it out, but others may want to wait for a sale.

CGMagazine

Xbox Series X

Oct 8, 2024

AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details

Starfield: Shattered Space falls short of Bethesda's high standards due to performance issues, clunky quests, and underwhelming execution, showing potential but needing improvement to match its predecessors.

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GamesRadar+

Xbox Series X

Oct 4, 2024

AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details

Starfield Shattered Space delivers an intriguing opening and strong ending but falls short in the middle, missing the opportunity to fully capitalize on the horror vibes and unique faction of Va'ruun. It's a solid expansion for exploration and challenging enemies, with a good amount of player choice.

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Pure Xbox

Xbox Series X

Oct 2, 2024

AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details

Starfield: Shattered Space is described as a big disappointment, failing to deliver on expectations and missing the opportunity to enhance the base game experience.

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Metro GameCentral

Xbox Series X

Oct 2, 2024

AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details

The DLC is criticized for magnifying the failings of the parent game, offering a boring story, uninteresting characters, lackluster gameplay, and a distressing amount of bugs. It is described as the exact opposite of what Starfield needed.

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100

Screen Rant

Oct 8, 2024

Summary and quote unavailable.

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XboxEra

Xbox Series X

Oct 1, 2024

Summary and quote unavailable.

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