Null_Gain posted...
While the bar isn't high, Skyrim's Dawnguard DLC was definitely worth it.
I also liked Far Harbour and Nuka-Cola World in FO4. IMO they seem better at these smaller standalone stories than tying together the big overarching worlds.
Though I don't get the comparison to Cyberpunk that always comes up. They aren't even trying to be the same kind of game, the only similarity is being "kinda near-futuristic sci-fi"
Anyways, I played it, probably play it more tonight, and have like 99% finished the main "story" of the DLC. Overall I thought it was pretty good, like an 8/10 (though that's about where I'd consider the base game so I mean YMMV).
The tl;dr is basically it's more Starfield. If you liked it you'll like this and if you don't you won't. Should be a surprise to no-one.
Good:
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Cool new gear, weapons, etc... No new ship parts, but that's kind of expected given nothing in the DLC has you leaving the planet. Partially makes me think the next standalone DLC (IIRC there's at least one more) will be more focused on space exploration and will have those new ship parts and stuff.
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A LOT more trait/background exclusive dialogue options. None of them significantly changes anything besides some flavour text, but I like it. Something that was definitely underdeveloped in the base game
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The main story is pretty good. IMO BGS is usually pretty good with these smaller-scale standalone stories though.
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There's a lot of the little things that really make House Va'Ruun (focus of the DLC) feel like its own unique group, a lot of which simply weren't expanded on much in the base game with any group, much less something intentionally underdeveloped in the base game (like House Va'Ruun clearly was)
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Keeping everything concentrated on one large map like previous BGS games helps make exploration feel a bit less routine and more like previous games, and I think mixing the two designs a bit better could be really awesome.
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Looks really ****ing cool.
Bad:
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House Va'Ruun doesn't feel as different as I wanted it to. Like it does a good job establishing them as a unique culture, but it's still like living the the USA vs living in France. Whereas I was hoping like, North vs. South Korea or like the people from Dune levels of a different culture. Like I don't really buy House Va'Ruun's refusal to integrate with the rest of the settled systems.
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Much like the main stories in the base game, it doesn't feel like the events of Shattered Space really matter much. It tries to make it seem like there's world-changing consequences to the story, but it doesn't have any bigger impact. For a DLC, I kind of get that being the case, but it's also a problem in the base game. If it was something that didn't try being more than a localized issue, I think the story would have hit harder.
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Silly qualm about the ending of the main story:
You have an option to basically sacrifice yourself out of religious zealotry for the antagonists attempt to restart the Serpent's Crusade. If you pick it, there's a big scene where you get into a prayer position and everything goes black... and then you just end up 5 seconds earlier so you can pick the correct choice. I think I would like this if it at least properly triggered the death scene. Liek I know I'm going to die, I just chose it, why give me the choice if you're just going to grab my hand and tell me to make the right choice this time?
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They didn't add more haircuts or face tats or whatever to match the new Va'Ruun guys.
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There isn't like, brand new gameplay features or anything. Just more Starfield.
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The one thing we learn about House Va'Ruun in the base game is the Zealot enemies that come up here and there. Except in the DLC we don't get anymore from that group. The Zealots are the same even on Va'Ruun Kai, just a bunch of pests for you to mow down and that's kind of lame. I was expecting more out of
the one piece of information that exists in the base game to try and interest you in this DLC.
Anyway, here's my short review if anyone actually is thinking about it.