The first expansion forStarfieldis set to arrive sometime this year with Shattered Space, finally introducing the mysterious cult known as House Va’ruun.Starfieldis entering horror territory with Shattered Space, and the unexpected change of pace is a promising sign for the expansion. As of now, all that is known about the DLC is that it will focus on House Va’ruun and its inner workings, meaning some exciting missions are hopefully on the horizon.
However, Shattered Space needs to tread lightly with how it handles its mission. The world ofStarfieldis vast and filled with intriguing space travel, but one notorious level from the base game needs to avoid being repeated. For the most part,Starfieldisn’t too difficult, but"Legacy’s End" is a notoriously challenging missionthat Shattered Space would be better off avoiding taking note of.
A Mission Like Starfield’s ‘Legacy’s End’ Should Stay Out of Shattered Space
A Painful Space Fight That is Better Left Forgotten
“Legacy’s End” tasks players with choosing toside with the Crimson Fleetor the UC SysDef, which culminates in players fighting for one of the two factions in a white-knuckling space fight. It’s a grueling moment inStarfieldthat requires players to really be on their A-game with how they have customized their ships. Otherwise, whichever faction plays the role of the enemy will obliterate one’s character in a matter of seconds.
The mission has gone down as one of the most needlessly difficult quests inStarfield, and Shattered Space needs to avoid using this section of the game as a source of inspiration.Shattered Space’s venture into horror elementscould be teasing a more challenging storyline for players. There is nothing wrong with a good challenge. A difficult section of a game can prove to offer some sweat-inducing fun. However, “Legacy’s End” is unfortunately missing the fun part of that equation.
The details of House of Va’ruun’s larger role in the story are unknown, butthe trailer for Shattered Spacehas made it clear that players are embarking on territory they are not particularly welcome in. It seems likely that interactions with members of House Va’ruun will be antagonistic, which could lead the DLC to introduce a similar space fight with the cult-like faction. A scenario where players fly towards House Va’ruun’s home planet of Va’ruun’kai only to be met with an aggressive armada of ships is not out of the realm of possibility, and if this is the case then Shattered Space has hopefully honed in how much damage enemies can do in flight combat so players don’t die so quickly.
Shattered Space is Important to Starfield’s Future
Starfieldreceived strong reviews from critics, but the player feedback was a mixed bag. Some loved the exploration and ship customization, while others found the game outdated and lacking in content. Because of the game’s divisive nature,there is a lot of pressure for Shattered Spaceto be an expansion that redeems the game’s rocky launch. When it comes to “Legacy’s End,” some players have even criticized the mission as being broken since it’s so difficult. If Shattered Space features a similar mission, it could really spoil the excitement of getting a new chapter.
If Bethesda wants its sci-fi venture to have a long lifespan, thenStarfield’s planned expansionsneed to have a solid balance of missions that offer a good challenge but also feel fun to play. Having a quest be difficult simply for the sake of putting players through the wringer is hard to pull off, and “Legacy’s End” is arguably a great example of what happens when it does not work.
