After several positive Starfield updates that improved performance and introduced various features and bug fixes, Bethesda was hoping to further renew interest in the game with the release of the first expansion, Shattered Space. However, its reception was mixed. In our 6/10 review, Francesco De Meo wrote:
The Starfield: Shattered Space expansion offers an engaging new story but adds little beyond that. Fans of the game’s universe will appreciate spending more time in it and discovering a faction more complex than it appeared in the base game, but those who didn’t enjoy Starfield or were primarily interested in its space exploration mechanics won’t change their opinion with the expansion, as it doesn’t address the vast majority of the issues that still plague the experience.
Bethesda Design Director Emil Pagliarulo has now engaged in an X conversation to proclaim the team’s faith in Shattered Space while also pointing out that the studio is not at all ignoring the players’ feedback.
I’m also very proud of Shattered Space. We all are. Most of the quests and levels were done by designers who have worked on previous Bethesda games and DLCs, going all the way back to Morrowind. They’re good at what they do, and it shows. If folks haven’t played Shattered Space and they like Starfield, I think they’re missing out. If folks have played Shattered Space and still don’t like it, that makes me sad, honestly. Just know that we’ve also been hearing from plenty of people who love it.
Maybe it’s a game of expectations. Fans want a lot, and we do all we can to accommodate them. Here’s what I can tell you – nobody, and I mean nobody, at Bethesda is patting themselves on the back while ignoring our players. In addition to Shattered Space, we’ve also spent a lot of time this year addressing community concerns and making fixes. We’ll continue to do so, and will be listening to our fans every step of the way. We make these games for all of you.
Starfield is a massive game, and it takes time for us to address things. We move as fast as we can, as safely as we can. Game development is always tricky, but with a game as big as Starfield, every fix could potentially break something else.
Bethesda has committed to long-term support for Starfield, so we’ll see whether they will take into account the mixed reception of Shattered Space to do something different with the next expansion for the sci-fi roleplaying game.
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