Starfield's Shattered Space DLC had some beautiful spaces and planets but didn't meet expectations. However, its issues can teach Bethesda important lessons for the Starborn expansion. Instead of just adding more content, Starborn needs to tackle the main problems that Shattered Space faced and turn them into chances for real improvement. Shattered Space, while very good, just didn't add up to the expectations of many players.

Starborn has the opportunity to fix the mistakes from the previous DLC and change how players experience Starfield, offering the features and gameplay that players have been waiting for. Many lessons can be learned from the ups and downs of Shattered Space that can guide the way forward. While Shattered Space didn't live up to its potential, Starborn can.

10 Players Need More Reasons To Explore Planets

They're So Dull To Travel Around

Starfield's huge galaxy has many planets, but exploring them can feel more like a boring chore than an exciting adventure. The recent DLC, Shattered Space, shows this problem without fully fixing it. The handcrafted planet, Va'ruun'kai, looks great but suffers from the same issue as the randomly generated worlds in the main game—much of the planet feels empty and uninteresting. Starborn needs to learn from this.

Instead of just adding more planets with the same problems, players need better reasons to explore. This means going beyond the usual cycle of finding similar outposts, gathering resources, and facing the same enemies. Even if it's ultimately not going to have missions, it'd be nice to see smaller outposts with friendly NPCs working and living on that planet. The vast majority of outposts on planets feel like they're just there for players to take out a bunch of enemies that shoot before speaking.

There could be hidden stories related to the planet’s background that give lore and details about minor characters. Things that Skyrim did incredibly well. The goal is to create engaging stories and memorable experiences on each planet, changing exploration from a routine task into a unique adventure. A system where players' choices visibly change a planet over time would encourage revisiting places, making players feel more connected to the game world. Right now, planet exploration feels almost the same everywhere.

9 Player Choice Has To Affect the Storyline

Choices Need To Matter More

Starfield Shattered Space, despite its issues, showed some potential for a strong story in Starfield. However, the way player choices influenced the story felt weak, making many feel like their decisions didn't matter. The choice may have affected the ending of the storyline but nothing else, and there wasn't much of a difference afterward. Starborn needs to fix this by making sure player choices truly impact the story and its outcomes.

The aim is to give players actual choices that lead to a dynamic story where every decision feels important.

For instance, if players decide to one faction over another, it should change more than just dialogue and mission results. Players might see towns getting rebuilt or destroyed, new or missing characters, or even shifting the entire political landscape of the planet. The aim is to give players actual choices that lead to a dynamic story where every decision feels important. This is something that feels missing from Starfield as a whole.

8 If Starborn DLC Affects the Companion, It Should Get More of a Response

Keep Bringing More For The Next DLC

The companion system in Starfield seems a bit underdeveloped and lacks depth. Although many companions have interesting backstories and personalities, they often feel like background characters in the game. Their reactions to the player's actions feel less developed than other Bethesda titles, making it hard to form a real connection with them. Shattered Space pushed this further, and Starborn has to avoid it.

Some people think Andreja is one of the best companions, and Shattered Space gave players more of a reason to like her.

Andreja is a great example of how this can be pushed further. While she has much more dialogue, it's mostly just moments where she has excellent reactions. Then, it's as if she's no different from other companions. However, there's also Barret, who seemed way more into the random artifacts and situations than Andreja. That really shouldn't be the case when this is part of Andreja's background.

7 Players Are Waiting for a DLC Like Phantom Liberty

Bethesda Needs To Upgrade Starfield

The negative response to Starfield's Shattered Space DLC, even with its impressive planet Va'ruun'kai, is a clear warning for Bethesda. Players wanted more than just a new location; they were looking for a major change, similar to what Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty offered. That expansion didn't just add new content; it improved the main gameplay by fixing key problems and giving players more control over their choices.

Starborn can’t make the same mistakes as Shattered Space by only adding superficial features to an already flawed game. Players want real changes that tackle the main issues of the original game. This means understanding what worked well in Phantom Liberty, almost remaking the game with expectations met. Starfield still has tons of loading screens in a landscape where loading screens are almost nonexistent. A new DLC needs to make the game feel more like it was made in this decade.

6 Meaningful Faction Integration In Starborn

The Game Should Dig Deeper Into Its Factions

In Starfield, the different groups (or factions) feel a bit disconnected and don’t have the same level of interaction seen in Bethesda’s earlier games. Shattered Space, despite its issues, showed the potential for better faction integration. The House Va'ruun, while not fully developed, gave a taste of creating a unique faction experience. Starborn should build on this.

Instead of just adding more quests for existing factions, the game should dig deeper into their inner workings, beliefs, and motivations. This means creating quests that highlight the power struggles within each group, allowing players to make real choices that affect the factions’ dynamics. For instance, players should be able to influence a faction’s internal politics, form alliances, betray rivals, and shape the faction's future. Right now, it just feels like making a choice and overpowering the groups based on being the main character.

5 Unique Environmental Storytelling

What Happened To Telling Stories In Notes?

Starifled Shattered Space had flaws, but it did well with its environmental storytelling when it was there. For Starborn, the goal should be to design worlds where the environment is part of the story, not just a backdrop. This involves blending story elements into the landscape, so players can discover the narrative through exploration. Adding environmental hints like old technology, broken diaries, or important artifacts can create a rich backstory.

Interesting spots in the world shouldn't be placed randomly; they need to be positioned thoughtfully to tease the unfolding narrative, creating an immersive experience. For instance, strange weather patterns could lead to visions or hallucinations that reveal elements of the story. The idea is for players to feel like they are actively discovering the narrative instead of just watching it unfold. If No Man's Sky and Oblivion can make dynamic weather, so can Starfield.

4 Reward Exploration With Significant Discoveries

Getting Random Loot Gets Old

Starfield’s huge galaxy is both its best and worst feature. While Va'ruun'kai is beautiful in Shattered Space, it doesn’t offer much meaningful exploration. Most of its interesting parts are in a small area, leaving the rest feeling plain and boring. There aren’t enough good reasons to explore outside the main zones. Starborn needs to fix this by making sure there are rewarding things to find instead of just more of the same outposts and predictable resources that the vanilla game has.

To improve this, Starborn should create interesting places to discover that are more than just nice to look at. For example, hidden caves could hold ancient technology that brings new gameplay features or powerful weapons, or players could find old diaries with lore related to the main story. Challenging puzzles in the environment could lead to more than just another weapon the player can buy.

3 More Dynamic and Reactive NPCs

They're Mostly Just Around In Shattered Space

Starfield's NPCs often feel static, and their reactions are limited and predictable. However, the recent expansion, Shattered Space, showed that more interesting interactions are possible. The of House Va'ruun, while few, responded differently based on the player's actions, suggesting they had more depth than many of the NPCs in the main game. That has to be expanded on in Starborn.

Every NPC in Skyrim had a schedule, but in Starfield, it feels like many live in one spot, like the Vanguard quest giver.

It's important to create NPCs that are more than just quest-givers. They should have rich backstories, complex motivations, and relationships that change over time with the player. They need schedules they adhere to, as many Starfield NPCs don't go anywhere besides the places they're always in. The goal is to make the game world feel alive and dynamic rather than just a series of set events or scripted dialogue. This kind of interaction will make Starfield's universe more engaging.

2 Sufficient Length and Depth

It's At Most A Faction Questline

Starfield's Shattered Space DLC added a new story and environment, but it felt pretty short. Starborn needs to focus on making the content longer and more engaging rather than just a mission pack, which is how Shattered Space feels. First, Starborn's quests should be more than just simple fetch tasks and straightforward stories. The DLC should have complex, branching narratives that allow for different paths and significant consequences that affect the game world.

Players should face moral dilemmas that don't just have clear "good" or "bad" choices but offer unexpected results. It’s important that players feel their decisions genuinely influence the game and that this level of detail extends beyond the main storyline to side quests and exploration as well. The new content should fit seamlessly into the overall Starfield universe. The DLC should feel like a meaningful addition to the game rather than a separate faction quest.

1 Give a Bigger Gameplay Mechanic With the DLC

Something That Makes The Game Feel Different

Starborn needs to introduce a major new gameplay feature that changes Starfield. Shattered Space didn’t really change anything. Starborn should avoid making the same mistake. The new feature should not just be an add-on. The vehicles are a great example of a feature that changes gameplay. Players don't need more vehicles, but they do need new features.

The vehicles came in a separate update, not as an add-on with Shattered Space.

Instead of something like a crafting system, there may be more companions on a ship. Thanks to the limited number of companions, the ship tends to feel emptier as it grows. Another possibility is a detailed base-building feature that lets players make a real living outpost with NPCs instead of another mining rig or home. Players need a feature that gives replayability or a sense of growth in Starfield.

Whatever the new mechanic is, the DLC should feel like more than just a new set of missions. The aim is to offer tangible rewards that make the game experience richer, giving players a unique approach to exploration and combat that makes every playthrough feel different and more fulfilling than what Starfield currently offers because eventually, DLC like Shattered Space and Starborn won't be enough to bring back a sizable fanbase to Starfield.