Exploring the Mixed Reviews of Starfield Shattered Space on Steam

The launch of Starfield Shattered Space has generated minimal buzz, especially regarding its Steam reviews. Bethesda’s inaugural annual story expansion has struggled to attract players on PC, with the count barely exceeding 20,000 according to SteamDB statistics. Currently, it’s reflecting a mere 42% positive rating in Steam reviews as of the time of writing.

There are many factors contributing to this situation, and review-bombing cannot be cited as one of them.

Starfield Players Discontented with the $30 Price Tag for Shattered Space

Starfield hasn't really landed the DLC that well (Image via Bethesda Softworks) — Starfield hasn’t really landed the DLC that well (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

The general reception of Shattered Space has been lukewarm. From our experiences with the DLC thus far, we’ve discovered several positive elements, particularly the new Voruun’kai worldspace that offers intriguing exploration opportunities. Unfortunately, the amount of content falls short of expectations.

A number of reviews lament the limited scope of this first paid DLC for Starfield. The DLC features ample new character dialogue and a mini-campaign related to faction-based narratives, reminiscent of Skyrim‘s Dawnguard.

However, it introduces just a few new weapons. While some zero-gravity segments and the Vortex enemies initially provide a sense of novelty, they lack a significant new mechanic to engage with.

The handcrafted content available feels refreshing compared to the vast, empty landscapes of the base game. However, it simply doesn’t match the improvements seen with Cyberpunk 2.0. There’s nothing substantial to mitigate some of the base game’s shortcomings. The recent Starfield update offered only minor bug fixes and a new quality-of-life feature.

Though this shouldn’t detract from the standalone DLC experience, the overall disappointment with the game’s evolution negatively impacts fan sentiment.

Speaking of comparisons, many users have drawn parallels to Cyberpunk 2077‘s Phantom Liberty, another $30 DLC attached to a game that initially faced criticism. A main point of contention among players is the $30 price tag for Shattered Space, with many feeling that Bethesda has not provided adequate value in this first installment of their annual DLC series. In contrast, even older Bethesda DLCs like Oblivion‘s Shivering Isles or Fallout 4‘s Far Harbor offered considerably more content.

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