Starfield Dev Reveals Why Shattered Space DLC Feels So Familiar To Bethesda Fans

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is already taking the community by storm but part of the expansion's success may be due to it lifting some design principles from one of Bethesda's most beloved role-playing games. Embracing a theme of cosmic horror, 's environments are a far cry from the base game which champions a more optimistic take on interstellar discovery. In particular, the city of Dazra has drawn many comparisons to an iconic game and it seems that sense of familiarity was intentional.

Per GamesRadar+, Bethesda Design Director Emil Pagliarulo noted that Dazra, the capital of House Va'ruun which was introduced in ,took plenty of inspiration from :

«I think it’s really unique fictionally and aesthetically, especially when you compare it to the other cities in the game. It tells the story of a human faction that is at the edge of 'normal' civilization. Pushing the boundaries of the game’s NASAPunk aesthetic, certainly, but also, on a lot of levels, pushing the boundaries of what is and is not culturally acceptable. In fact, Morrowind and its themes and overall vibe were a big inspiration .»

stands out amongst the settings as a grimy swampland that's seen as a «weird» version of the more traditional fantasy setting of the franchise. Dazra, and by extension the whole planet of Va’ruun’kai, is undoubtedly the strangest locale in , giving fans exactly what they wanted from the original game.

's influence on is plain to see for anyone who knows their way around the third mainline game but the DLC does evoke several other franchises. The hostility and brutality of Va'ruun'kai drew from, specifically the Klingon homeworld, according to Pagliarulo. While the Design Director doesn't mention this, it's also not hard to see 's impact on the aesthetic of House Va'ruun's homeworld.

Bethesda made it clear from the outset that was looking to lean into horror, embracing the inherent fear of exploring new worlds in an unknown area of the galaxy. Its goal was definitely achieved asthe expansion is, overall, an