Starfield's first expansion is due to launch on September 30, and it promises to be a big one. Starfield: Shattered Space takes place on Va'ruun'kai, the home of House Va'ruun. House Va'ruun is one of the most enigmatic of Starfield's Houses, and with an entire expansion pack that promises to be story-driven, the secrets of House Va'runn will likely be uncovered.

Starfield: Shattered Space will provide players with a handcrafted planet that features 50 new locations, dozens of new alien creatures, aggressive and intelligent new enemies, and new and exciting forms of combat. Players will get to visit House Va'ruun's capital city of Dazra, unpack the mystery of their worship of the Great Serpent, and resolve a conflict that threatens to tear apart the House.

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One Piece of Starfield Content Shouldn't Be Left on the Cutting Room Floor

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Starfield: Shattered Space Promises a Story-Driven Experience

Unpacking House Va'ruun

The story of Starfield: Shattered Space has been promised to take the fore for Starfield's first expansion pack, and there is a lot to uncover. The premise of Starfield: Shattered Space is the space-time tear that has recently been unleashed on Va'ruun'kai and devastated House Va'ruun. The leader of House Va'Ruun, Speaker Anasko Va'ruun, disappeared during the disaster, causing a power vacuum that threatens to tear the House apart as different factions vie for power. The player is likely to have a hand in determining the future of House Va'ruun. In addition to the politics and future of House Va'ruun, uncovering the mysteries of the House, such as their worship of the Great Serpent, is likely to be one of the main storylines in Starfield: Shattered Space.

Va'ruun'kai is One of Starfield's Biggest Settings

Within this setting, Bethesda has promised a departure from Starfield's base game, in that Va'ruun'kai as a setting is carefully handcrafted, rather than procedurally generated. With each part of Shattered Space being created by hand, Shattered Space's entire storyline will also be set on Va'ruun'kai, which means players won't have to depart the planet to complete the expansion, although they will still be free to leave whenever they wish. Va'ruun'kai itself promises to be vast, with 50 locations to be discovered. The environments of Va'ruun'kai include the ramifications of the space-time tear, such as gravity bubbles and vortexes, and so traversing the environment itself will be hazardous.

Starfield: Shattered Space Brings New Enemies and Combat Potential

New Alien Enemies to Encounter

With a new setting come new enemies to defeat. The space-time tear on Va'ruun'kai has resulted in a tear between worlds, with new creatures slipping through. Starfield: Shattered Space is bringing as many as 50 new types of creatures to Starfield that have an affinity with the void that they originate from. When disturbed, they have the ability to set up and execute ambushes on their enemies, including the player character.

Different Enemy Types and Combat Builds

Starfield: Shattered Space will close the gap in combat with more aggressive enemies. In the Starfield: Shattered Space Deep Dive trailer, Bethesda hinted at improvements to melee combat, which hopefully means a melee build will finally be viable. Any player build can be supplemented, however, with new grenades that players can craft from the organic materials they find on Va'ruun'kai. Other enemies that inhabit Va'ruun'kai include familiar faces in the Crimson Fleet, Zealots, and Spacers, who have taken advantage of the chaos on the planet.

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Starfield Tag Page Cover Art
10 /10

Starfield
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Action
RPG
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Systems
PC-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
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Released
September 6, 2023
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Bethesda
Publisher(s)
Bethesda
Engine
proprietary engine
Cross-Platform Play
no multiplayer
Cross Save
no
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

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
Genre(s)
Action, RPG
How Long To Beat
20 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
101 GB (September 2023)
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty