Bethesda claims it took inspiration from the best game it has ever made for Shattered Space but it isn't winning over fans to 'an already stale game'

All my colleagues at PCG can confirm that I am extremely annoying. I am the annoying grognard that won't stop talking about Mass Effect 1 as the best game while everyone is praising ME2. I'm that guy who complains about the original being better when everyone loves a remake. I'm the guy who still talks about Bethesda Morrowind glory days in 2024.

You'll probably agree that my passion is insufferable. But someone at Bethesda has to share it. Guess which game studio Emil Pagliarulo mentions in an interview with GamesRadar when he talks about Starfield's Shattered Space DLC? The Elder Scrolls 3 Morrowind. Vindication, baby. This is a great day for annoying nerds all over the world. Sort of.

Shattered Space is a game that focuses on House Va'Ruun, a spooky house in the capital city of Dazra. Pagliarulo told GR that he was inspired to design both games by the best Bethesda game ever made, Morrowind. "Morrowind's themes and overall vibe" were a major inspiration.

He continues: "The concept is in the House Va’Ruun DNA." And nothing in Bethesda’s history captures the "celestial terror" quite like Morrowind’s weird psychosexual pantheon, the Lovecraftian sixth house, and their struggle for power with an encroaching time-bending empire.

Shattered Space also aims to "push the boundaries" of the NASAPunk aesthetic of the game, says Pagliarulo. It also aims to "push the boundaries" of what is culturally acceptable. Morrowind was also based on the idea of cultural relativism and moral relativism. It's about how unique histories create unique people with unique moral systems. It's no wonder Bethesda drew on it to put together Shattered Space.

Bethesda's greatest hits don't seem to be winning over players. Shattered Space has a dull, beige, "Mixed", Steam rating one day after its launch. Only 43% of the views are positive.

Fair enough, many of the negative reviews are actually about Starfield, not Shattered Space. They criticize the base game and its DLC for all sorts of sins. But that doesn't stop a lot of people from complaining about it. The narrative is still a little anodyne, despite being superior to the main game, and a new city with more detail doesn't do enough to make the galaxy feel like it's a mile and an inch wide. One reviewer said that the House Va'Ruun DLC would not be able to fix a game that was already catatonic.