Starfield's 'Terran Armada' DLC: Are We Getting More Earthy Blahs, or a Hidden Gem?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Bethesda teased Starfield's second DLC, and fans quickly deciphered it as 'Terran Armada,' a revelation met with collective shrugs by many, including Rock Paper Shotgun's Mark Warren, as the name suggests more Earth-centric content in a game that's arguably already done enough 'Earthy' stuff, leaving us craving more alien weirdness.
Right, so Bethesda, bless their space-faring hearts, recently dropped a teaser that got the cosmic rumour mill churning. And, true to form, the internet's intrepid digital archaeologists immediately set about excavating hidden truths from its fleeting frames. The big reveal? What looks suspiciously like the title for Starfield's second major expansion: "Terran Armada."
Now, my initial reaction to that, much like a potion that fizzles rather than explodes, was a bit... muted. And it seems I'm not alone in that sentiment. Our mates over at Rock Paper Shotgun, particularly the sharp-witted Mark Warren, were quick to point out that it all sounds a bit, well, 'quite whelming' (and who doesn't love a good neologism, eh?). You can read their original take over at Rock Paper Shotgun's article: 'Starfield's second DLC might involve a "Terran Armada", and that sounds quite whelming.'
For those who haven't spent 171 hours (or, ahem, more) navigating Starfield's impressively vast but often-times sterile universe, let me quickly set the scene. Almost a year after 'Shattered Space' — Starfield's first DLC, which bravely delved into spooky gunk and snake worshippers on a purple planet – Bethesda marked the base game's second anniversary with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it video. It was a classic case of what the RPS article aptly called the 'piss filter of teaseage' (gotta love that!). But gamers, ever the master code-breakers, rearranged those fleeting frames quicker than you can say 'Todd Howard's magic touch,' and 'Terran Armada' popped out.
So, what's the rub? Why the collective shrug? Well, "Terran Armada" suggests a fleet of ships, presumably from or related to Earth. And here's where my gently skeptical wizard hat starts to itch. Starfield, for all its expansive scope, has already done a fair bit of Earthly exploration. We know Earth's a ruined, desolate orb. We've grappled with its fate as a key thread in the main plot. And let's not forget the perfectly meh encounter with the *Earth Colony Ship Constant* near Paradiso on Porrima II – a ship full of Earthlings who somehow wandered space for 200 years without bumping into, well, anyone particularly exciting. It was a decent enough side-quest, sure, but hardly the stuff of legend.
This isn't to say a DLC couldn't put a *spin* on things. Perhaps 'Terran Armada' refers to a forgotten fleet from a different timeline, or a magical conjuration of Earth's past given new life. My curiosity is always piqued by a good narrative twist! But, as Mark Warren over at RPS rightly pointed out, Starfield’s universe often feels like a beautiful, but rather beige, canvas. What many of us are craving is more splashes of vibrant, unexpected colour. We're talking alien blues, cosmic purples, and narrative greens that haven't been seen before.
Think about it, mate. Bethesda's best work, be it in *The Elder Scrolls* or *Fallout*, thrives on the strange, the unique, and the utterly unforgettable. Those moments aren't about revisiting the familiar; they're about stumbling upon something that makes you scratch your head and say, 'Bloody hell, what *is* this?' *Shattered Space* took a step in that direction with its creepy cultists and their slithery pals. It embraced a more 'out-there' vibe, and honestly, that's what Starfield needs more of.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting a single DLC is going to suddenly elevate Starfield from 'impressive but somewhat underwhelming' to 'universally beloved sibling of the juggernauts.' We all know the colossal weight of expectation that game carried. But what a DLC *can* do is inject some much-needed personality and surprise into the experience. It's about finding the human (or alien, or robot) story behind the corporate announcement, and delivering something that feels genuinely fresh for the players who've already sunk hundreds of hours into the Settled Systems.
So, as we cautiously eye 'Terran Armada,' I'm left wondering. Will it be a cosmic supernova, bursting with never-before-seen lore and genuinely engaging encounters? Or will it be more of a cosmic whimper, another perfectly adequate but ultimately forgettable detour? My wizard's crystal ball is hazy on this one, but my hopes, while gently tempered by skepticism, remain optimistically chaotic. Let's hope Bethesda manages to conjure a surprise that's more spellbinding than merely 'whelming.' We'll just have to wait and see what magic they've got cooking. Keep your comms open, spacefarers!
Tags: Starfield, Bethesda, DLC, Gaming News, Space RPG
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun