Summary
It was recently revealed thatStarfieldcreators put in a trademark filing for what could be the next major DLC afterShattered Spacewiththe title ofStarborn. While the prospect of learning about the game’s most enigmatic characters is compelling, the execution must be top-notch to resonate with me. Although the missions within the game are captivating on their own, stitching together the largerStarfieldnarrative is going to be a heavier lift.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Starfield.]
Even though Bethesda has not failed to deliver with past DLC and expansions for franchises likeFalloutandThe Elder Scrolls, the complex story ofStarfieldcould lead to some lackluster explanations for what is perhaps the most important part of the game, and I don’t exactly have the most confidence in them.
Starfield: Shattered Space DLC - Release Window, Story Details, & New Gameplay
Starfield showcased its first DLC, Shattered Space, in a trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase. Here’s what it reveals about the upcoming expansion.
Who Are The Starfield Starborn?
An Enigmatic Race That May Be Better Left Mysterious
The Starborn are a race of interdimensional beings and are at the crux of most ofStarfield’s sometimes confounding main narrative. In essence, allStarborn were once human but accomplished the task of collecting all ofStarfield’s Artifactsand constructing the Armillary to enter what is known as Unity, or a portal to a different dimension. Loosely based on String Theory, a theoretical physics concept that states that reality is constructed of vibrating strings and a multitude of tiny dimensions, inStarfieldit equates to what istypically known as New Game Plus.
When players reach the end of the main storyline and collect all of theStarfieldArtifacts, the end of the game culminates in a final epic battle against a host of Starborn, where players can decide to side with the Hunter or the Emissary (who is actually Keeper Aquilus) or just go off alone — and this leads to a total mission reset as well asmultiple different dimensions. Beyond this, however, the Starborn are left largely mysterious, and many questions go unanswered, but this might actually be a good thing.
Bethesda Could Mishandle The DLC
This Feels Pretty Familiar
From an overall narrative-writing point of view, it makes complete sense to further flesh out and elaborate onStarfield’s biggest mystery, but it may better be left up to the players' imaginations.Perhaps the closest parallel people can draw between past works is Bethesda’sThe Elder Scrolls V: Dragonbornexpansion, which helped explain the lore behind that game’s biggest mystery as well.
InDragonborn, players face off against Miraak — the first Dragonborn living in Solstheim, who started a rebellion against the dragons and could absorb dragon souls, much like the player. Arrogant and rash, Miraak is a pretty prototypical “bad guy,” and the final boss the player faces in the Dragonborn DLC. While that expansion was generally well-received and liked,a similar story would likely not work out as well for Starfield.
Skyrim: How to Start the Dragonborn DLC
To start the Dragonborn DLC in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, players must encounter a certain faction of hostile NPCs after entering a settlement.
I Don’t Want A Repeat Of Dragonborn
A Great DLC, But Not For Starfield
WhileDragonbornmade sense forSkyrimand was thoroughly enjoyable, the same sort of story should not be repeated forStarfield.The parallels between the two are more than obvious; a unique hero with special powers and abilities makes their way through a world that is sometimes unaccommodating while meeting a cast of interesting characters. Both the Starborn and Dragonborn player characters are even more unique within this minor sub-set, and both even share the same “born” at the end of their titles.
The underlying issue with the potential Starborn DLC is that it must search to explain the literal origins of the universe.
If Bethesda decides to take the same approach toStarfieldby introducing a stereotypical bad guy that was the first “Starborn,“it’ll significantly undercut the underlying complex narrativedealing with multiple dimensions. Unlike the fantasy setting ofSkyrim, where an ultimate and “first” dragon priest and OG Dragonborn stand as the big bad,Starfield’s universe can’t be as simple, or at least, it shouldn’t be.
While my expectations for Bethesda are super low at the moment, I think it’s important to note that I was and still am a massiveSkyrimfan who has poured hundreds of hours into the game. I’ll admit that I started too late to really enjoyOblivionor the otherElder Scrollsgames, but I’m generally a fan of older Bethesda games.I’m also a fan ofStarfield, warts and all. I’ve enjoyed myself generally in the game, but was let down by the ending and have felt pretty underwhelmed by any additional content the company has added to the game thus far.
Why Starfield Fans Should Pay Attention To August 20
Fans eagerly awaiting the release of the Starfield Shattered Space DLC expansion may not have to wait much longer to see new content.
That said, some of this may be optics and perspective.No longer is Bethesda the quirky small company that makes interesting open-world gameswith fascinating side quests and characters. Today, they are a behemoth of a company employing hundreds of people and owned by one of the biggest corporations in the world. They’ve always been buggy and slow to update, but now it feels like the excuses don’t make sense anymore. I don’t have a personal vendetta against the company or anything; its most recent games just don’t capture meas muchas previous ones have.
What Could Make Starfield Starborn Good?
A Question Left Up In The Air
The underlyingissue with the potential Starborn DLC is that it must search to explain the literal origins of the universe, something that even the best science fiction novelists and physicists have struggled to do. Starborn can’t be too simple, or else it’ll reduce the entire universe and reality as we know it into a simple hero’s journey ark where the player is tasked with beating the universe’s biggest evil.
That said, the expansion and DLC can’t be too complex. From a theological perspective, we’re now delving closely into concepts of the origins of the universe, life, the planet, and mankind — which can get overly obtuse, complicated, andnotfun.
Though the lack of a Starborn explanation has been a pain point for those deeply invested inStarfieldlore, it’s something that has a high likelihood of underdelivering. Creating a fun experience while explaining these more complex story features is going to be a hard thing to balance — so perhaps this aspect of the story was and is best left to the imagination.
