With the release of Starfield, Bethesda has brought players to a whole new galaxy brimming with potential. While the main story may not have been on the level of the studio's previous titles, the universe that it crafted has been fun to explore. Now that Starfield has received its first DLC in the form of Shattered Space, many are wondering just where that adventure will take them next. Its future may be shrouded in mystery, but Bethesda might actually have a pretty clear route forward.
Todd Howard has said that Starfield has the potential to get new content every single year, as long as the studio has exciting ideas to explore. It remains to be seen if the studio actually commits to that, but if it does, then it may want to follow in the footsteps of Hello Games' No Man's Sky. That game has shown players just what a massive space adventure should look like, and each year it grows even more. If Bethesda really wants Starfield to last forever, then Hello Games has laid out exactly how to do that.
After Shattered Space, Starfield's Next DLC Can Go Back to Basics
While Starfield's Shattered Space DLC leaned heavily into horror, the next expansion can look to return to more of its core genre components.
Starfield Could Learn Some Things From No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky is the Perfect Space Game Template
Upon launch, No Man's Sky was incredibly divisive. While its massive procedurally generated universe may have been impressive, players were left with practically nothing to do within it. Instead of abandoning the project, Hello Games committed to making it one of the strongest sci-fi titles out there. Through countless updates, No Man's Sky has evolved into one of the richest sci-fi games on the market, and as of now, it does not seem like that experience will slow down anytime soon.
Every single year since release, Hello Games has expanded upon No Man's Sky's foundations with numerous massive updates. It has given players exciting new planet types to explore, massive ships to pilot, base building mechanics to mess around with, new stories, and so many more features to help make the galaxy their own. This constant stream has not only given players so much content to explore, but also keeps them coming back for even more. Because of its success, it only seems natural that other space titles like Starfield may want to follow suit.
Starfield May Want to Follow in No Man's Sky's Footsteps
Much like No Man's Sky, Starfield gives players a massive procedurally generated galaxy to explore. While it mostly works, there is definitely something lacking here, as many of its planets are left with too little content to explore. However, through Starfield's post-launch updates or DLC, that could change considerably. The studio could expand its base building mechanics, add new mission types across these planets, inject them with new stories, and so on.
Additionally, Starfield's updates could expand the galaxy in exciting new ways. No Man's Sky has introduced a plethora of new planet types, with some updates completely overhauling the universe. One of the best aspects of spacefaring games is the variety of planets waiting to be discovered, so it would make a lot of sense to just build upon them. Bethesda could introduce new planet types, shake up older planets with new creatures or biomes, and fill them to the brim with things to discover.
No Man's Sky has added so much content over the years, which has helped make it the gold standard for spacefaring games for many. While Starfield may be aiming for a more realistic feel, there is seemingly no reason it could not follow what Hello Games has achieved in terms of gameplay content. Games like this have virtually limitless potential, so Bethesda just has to capitalize on it.
Starfield
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 101 GB (September 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
