Starfield and Bethesda lead says "Morrowind and its themes and overall vibe were a big inspiration" for the Shattered Space DLC's main planet and city

GamesRPGStarfieldStarfield and Bethesda lead says “Morrowind and its themes and overall vibe were a big inspiration” for the Shattered Space DLC’s main planet and cityWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesRPGStarfieldStarfield and Bethesda lead says “Morrowind and its themes and overall vibe were a big inspiration” for the Shattered Space DLC’s main planet and cityWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios)

A screenshot from the Starfield: Shattered Space trailer, overlooking a tower-like structure with a blue aurora in the background.

Starfield Shattered Spaceis finally here, adding a chunky story expansion to Bethesda’s open-world sci-fi adventure. As the developer worked to build on its latest game, it looked to one of its most popular classics, with The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind informing the feel of Shattered Space’s central planet and especially the city of Dazra.

“We really love the aesthetic of the homeworld, and the city of Dazra in particular,” Bethesda studio design director Emil Pagliarulo says in an interview with GamesRadar+, explaining howStarfield Shattered Space lets players explore like they did in Fallout and Skyrim.

Starfield Shattered Space guidesHow to start Shattered Space in StarfieldNew Shattered Space weapons

Starfield Shattered Space guides

How to start Shattered Space in StarfieldNew Shattered Space weapons

How to start Shattered Space in StarfieldNew Shattered Space weapons

“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.”

The look and culture of the Va’ruun home planet, the main stage for the first and long-awaitedStarfieldstory expansion, was a key and evolving discussion within Bethesda. “We talked a lot in those early days about what Va’ruun’kai was like,” Pagliarulo says. “But it’s interesting, because one of the reasons we never really fleshed their homeworld out on paper was because we really hoped that someday, somehow, we’d be able to bring House Va’ruun to life as a playable faction. And we’d be able to give players Va’ruun’kai. And however else you want to describe it, Va’ruun’kai would be… weird. But how weird? And weird in what way? What could we pull off?”

Todd Howard reflects on Starfield development: “How do we generate these planets? Is that even a good idea? OK, maybe at the time, no, but we made it work.”

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

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Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

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