Starfield: Shattered Space's early marketing teased a true delight for horror fans, and while it wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be, it does draw inspiration from some of the best sci-fi and horror franchises ever made. The first mission of the Shattered Space DLC, dubbed "What Remains," is a defining example of taking an underrated classic and restyling it for the Starfield universe.

Much like its references to other sci-fi properties, including the obvious connections between Terrormorphs & Xenomorphs, along with innumerable Star Trek and Andromeda references, Shattered Space's main narrative and initial mission derives inspiration from a beloved sci-fi horror film that didn't get as much shine when it was released in the late '90s. Although the narrative is nearly identical, Shattered Space sadly misses what made the inspiration so iconic to begin with.

Starfield's "What Remains" Is Just Like Event Horizon

Hellraiser In Space

As a devoted body-horror fan, I have always loved Event Horizon. The 1997 classic film didn't make much of a splash when it was first released, but it has since developed a pretty decent cult following. Those who haven't heard of it probably aren't alone, as it was never as impactful as other '80s and '90s horror franchises and never received a sequel — even though I'd personally pay to see a modern reboot.

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (yes, the same director that's tied to the fairly horrid panned at the time of its theatrical release, the film actually has a pretty star-studded cast, with Laurence Fishburn, Sam Neill, and Joely Richardson all serving as of the crew.

[Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the first mission of Starfield: Shattered Space & the story in Event Horizon.]Just like Starfield's plot, Event Horizon's story revolves around gravity-drive technology gone awry, which eventually results in a folding of space-time, allowing horrid & hellish creatures to spawn on the ship and alter the crew's frame of mind. In the movie, this would pervert the space travelers and cause them to commit horrid atrocities, not unlike the Oracle Starstation in "What Remains."

The Starfield: Shattered Space & Event Horizon Story Are Almost Identical

Gravity Drive Technology Is Scary

Upon getting the distress signal in Starfield: Shattered Space, the player will find the space station called the Oracle and encounter blue entities named Sirak Veth'all and Basira Mir — two Va'ruun citizens whose minds are slipping due to the grav drive technology malfunction. At the end of the first dialogue, Basira attacks the character, having completely changed due to the erratic energy from the grav drive.

Through audio logs, dialogue, and notes, it's eventually discovered that an energy surge warped the crew's minds and allowed other beings known as Vortex Phantoms to enter the ship. This plot is essentially the same thing that happens in Event Horizon, even down to gravity-drive technology being the ultimate culprit for this multiverse-spawning scenario.

There Are Major Differences Between Event Horizon & Starfield: Shattered Space

I Wish Shattered Space Was Actually Scary

Although the plot of Event Horizon and Starfield: Shattered Space are nearly identical, and it does serve as an homage to the film in some respects, it lacks the main element that makes me love Event Horizon in the first place — the body horror and scares. While Shattered Space does its best to create a creepy environment with some level of tension, it's certainly not horrifying, and I didn't really find myself scared a single time throughout my entire playthrough.

Starfield has received its fair share of criticism, but I think they really missed the mark with Shattered Space when it comes to the horror element.

Replacing grotesque body horror with glowing phantoms that look like Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen undercuts what made Event Horizon so good and why it's a cult classic today. Akin to other great films like the Hellraiser franchise and lesser-ed films like Videodrome, fleshy, bloody sinew is replaced by entities that evaporate like ghosts with copied and pasted Starborn death animations.

In the movie, Sam Neill eventually transforms into a maniacal and bloody freak with no eyes and a completely savaged face. Although the actor was in 1994 In the Mouth of Madness, another great and underrated horror title, it was amazing to see the paleontologist from the original Jurassic Park play such a visceral and horrifying role the first time I saw the movie. Sadly, no character, Va'ruun or otherwise, possesses that same gravitas or energy in Starfield's latest expansion.

Starfield Feels Pretty Derivative

Where Are The Original Ideas?

Starfield has received its fair share of criticism, but I think they really missed the mark with Shattered Space when it comes to the horror element. It's not so much that they are borrowing a story almost directly from a better piece of media; it's more so that they stripped that story of the elements that made it unique and memorable in the first place. This mission would have been a blast if I had to look over my shoulder constantly for horrifying fiends or if some of the more carnal or violent elements of its inspiration made their way to the game.

Instead, we got a pretty neutered story that often finds itself veering way too much into the "science" part of sci-fi, sucking all the fun and frights from the DLC like a metaphorical wet vac. Essentially, I felt like I was playing the PG version of Event Horizon — the version that the high school teacher throws up on the screen toward the end of the school year. In fact, I wouldn't blame anyone for missing the connection to the film altogether because, even as a fan, the shiny blue aesthetic and the enemies that were used were so contrastingly different from the movie.

That said, it is interesting how similar the two really are when one takes a second to think about it. Without going into spoilers too much, some portions of the later missions in Starfield: Shattered Space only solidify this point. Even though I do think that they missed the mark, it's still nice to know that one of my favorite horrors from the late 90s is finally getting a little more shine.