Starfield Shattered Space DLC Can Save The Game By Using This Fallout Feature

Starfield still needs some work, and the Fallout series provides the perfect inspiration to show what the upcoming expansion could improve.

Summary

• Starfield's vast interplanetary scale comes with compromises like repetitive, procedurally generated planets and generic design elements.
• Starfield's faction system should be improved by taking inspiration from titles like Fallout: New Vegas, which explored the rifts between factions in a deeper and more consequential way.
• Shattered Space, the upcoming DLC for Starfield, has the potential to address the game's shortcomings by introducing divisions among factions, more companion diversity, and branching paths for different endings.

Starfield hasn't managed to attract the same widespread acclaim and love as a number of past titles from Bethesda Game Studios, but it's not too late for the game to take strides in the right direction. Although the vast interplanetary scale of Starfield is an impressive setting on some level, achieving that scale seems to have come with an unfortunate amount of compromises. From repetitive, procedurally generated planets to generic design elements, there are plenty of reasons why Bethesda's newest game isn't the experience that it could be, and it could learn some lessons from the Fallout series.

So far, Starfield hasn't been the recipient of any major updates to overhaul things, but it's possible that some big changes could come with its first expansion. This DLC, called Shattered Space, is available as a part of the Premium and Constellation editions of the game, and it should be possible to buy it as a separate upgrade when it releases. No specifics about the story or concept behind Shattered Space are yet available, but the title indicates a possibility that it could address one major problem in Starfield.

Starfield DLC Can Fix The Game’s Most Painfully Boring Feature

Fallout's Factions Should Be The Model For Starfield

Factions play a big role in Starfield, but the way that they're implemented leaves something to be desired compared to some comparable games of the past. The five principal factions in the story are Constellation, Crimson Fleet, Freestar Rangers, Ryujin Industries, and UC Vanguard, all of which bring unique goals and advantages to the table. Although some have competing aims, it's possible to join all the factions in Starfield. The consequences of signing up for any individual faction don't feel fully fleshed out, as the side effects of championing any particular cause tend to be minimal.

One game that offers a perfect model for how to improve this situation is Fallout: New Vegas, which explores the rifts between its own factions much more deeply. Unlike Fallout 3 and 4, New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment rather than Bethesda Game Studios, although Bethesda Softworks still published the game. Although New Vegas was initially rushed to the market and contains some major bugs and problems as a result, it's earned a revered place in history because of the ways that it builds on the strengths of Bethesda's approach to Fallout 3 and carves out a uniquely rich niche of its own.

Fallout: New Vegas Is The Best Game That Is Impossible To Play

Like Starfield, Fallout: New Vegas uses a reputation system for its factions, but it can be significantly harder to balance between rival factions than it is in Starfield. Among the major factions, it's ultimately only possible to join one, making the player's decision matter to a greater degree. This approach represents a strong fusion of the hostilities found in Fallout 1 and 2 and the heavier focus on faction multitasking generally found in Bethesda games, making it possible to manage a lot in a single playthrough without sacrificing the realism of the world or making choices feel inconsequential.

Shattered Space Could Embrace Starfield Rivalries

The name Shattered Space sounds like it could very well refer to divisions among various factions in Starfield, so it could likely provide the best opportunity for Bethesda to improve the currently lackluster system. If siding with the Crimson Fleet significantly damaged a player's reputation across all the United Colonies and made areas under the republic openly hostile, it could radically alter the way exploration and progression works in a meaningful way. Whether forcing a player to rely on fewer resources or opening the door to more undercover gameplay, restricting actions within a game can actually lead to more possibilities when employed smartly.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty recently showed how much fun a focus on espionage could be as a DLC prospect, and leaning into that idea might also benefit Starfield. Pushing divisions between factions could also lead to more splintered opportunities for endings to the expansion. Fallout: New Vegas featured a distinct ending for each major faction (and alternate endings for two of them), as well as various tweaks depending on town & companion allegiances and much more. The ending to Starfield has been somewhat divisive, and offering an extra experience with more tangible branching paths could help flesh things out.

Starfield Needs More Companion Diversity

In line with its faction system, Fallout: New Vegas's approach to companions provides another cue that Shattered Space could take to improve Starfield. All four major companions in Starfield are aligned with Constellation and tend to parrot the same beliefs on faction decisions and other choices within the game. Adding some interesting companion characters who don't fit into this mold would be a major step for Shattered Space, helping to increase the overall replayability while giving players more to chew on when choosing what companion to focus on building a relationship with.

10 Things Starfield's Shattered Space DLC Must Include

This would also help the faction situation feel better as a whole, as helping out a particular faction would be much more likely to appeal to certain companions while lowering favor with others. Interstellar agendas would have to be balanced against interpersonal goals, lending a greater immediacy to high-stakes decisions and making relationships feel more real. Considering how much attention romances in Baldur's Gate 3 attracted in 2023, it's clear that expanding the options in Starfield and focusing on discrete agendas for companions would be a major point of attraction for the game.

Changes made to Shattered Space won't necessarily smooth over Starfield's rough points on the whole, but it would be nice for the community to have content to look forward to that actually addresses the game's shortcomings. There's a reason that Fallout: New Vegas remains a fan favorite well over a decade later, and if Bethesda wants Starfield to enjoy the same legacy, it's clear that some steps need to be taken. Factions just aren't everything that they could be in Starfield, and sorting that out in Shattered Space would be one of the best changes for the DLC to make.

Starfield

Released

September 6, 2023

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks