One of 2023's most popular games was Bethesda Game Studios' Starfield, a space exploration RPG that takes the physics-driven open-world dynamism of Skyrim and Fallout 4 to a galactic scale. Starfield is a gargantuan experience with countless quests and encounters to complete as you journey between its worlds, and one week from now, it's getting a grand new adventure with the launch of the highly anticipated Shattered Space DLC.
The Premium Edition of Starfield gives you the game, access to the expansion, and some cosmetic goodies for $99.99 normally, but ahead of Shattered Space's arrival, you can get it for just $69.39 at CDKeys instead. That's $30 off the MSRP and slightly cheaper than the base game itself, making this an out-of-this-world deal you shouldn't pass up if you play on PC and Steam. Alternatively, you can also get the Premium Edition upgrade for $29.39 at CDKeys (was $34.99) or Shattered Space for $26.69 at CDKeys (was $29.99) if you have Starfield already.
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Bethesda's massive RPG gets bigger — and deeper
Like Bethesda's other RPG series The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Starfield gives fans the opportunity to play through a non-linear adventure influenced heavily by player choice, dynamic random encounters, and the advanced physics simulations the studio's Creation Engine is known for. What distinguishes it from these franchises, though, is that it's far larger. Indeed, while past Bethesda titles have taken place on a single world, Starfield has hundreds — and while each one's available play space is small compared to the map of a game like Skyrim, their collective size dwarfs anything that's come before.
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That scale makes Starfield one of the biggest ever RPGs, and it's one of the reasons some consider it one of the best Xbox games and best PC games. However, it's also something of a focal point for criticisms that argue it lacks roleplaying depth and engaging content beyond the main questline. The good news, though, is that's actually something Bethesda is addressing with the Shattered Space DLC that's scheduled to launch in exactly one week on September 30. Compared to base Starfield and its universe-spanning journey, Shattered Space takes place entirely on one planet — Va'ruun'kai — and looks to give players a deeper, meatier campaign to enjoy in the Settled Systems.
With "over 50 new locations to discover and explore across Va'ruun'kai" as well as "formidable new enemies" and a story centered around the enigmatic House Va'ruun faction, Shattered Space seems to be akin to Far Harbor from Fallout 4 in terms of overall structure and design ethos. Set weeks after a secret experiment with Grav Drive technology that ended in a disaster that ripped open tears in spacetime, devastated much of Va'ruun'kai's capital city of Dazra, and fractured House Va'ruun itself, players will interact with survivors, get involved with the political schemes of splinter groups looking to take control of the organization, and ultimately uncover the full truth of what happened in the "vortex incident."
Throughout the DLC, you'll traverse Va'ruun'kai's alien terrain and navigate strange phenomena like pockets of zero gravity while fending off everything from fanatical House Va'ruun Zealots and Crimson Fleet pirates to the planet's hostile wildlife and bizarre "creatures from the other side" invading our dimension as a direct result of the vortex incident. Notably, Bethesda has stated that Shattered Space's combat encounters will be more intense and at shorter ranges than the rest of Starfield's fighting, and that enemy ambushes will give it something of a horror-style vibe.
Overall, most agree that Shattered Space looks excellent, though whether it actually lives up to the hype or not remains to be seen. What's clear right now, though, is that pulling the trigger on these deals is the best way to get permanent access to both Starfield and its imminent story expansion. Whether you're looking to pick up everything with the Premium Edition, use a Premium Edition upgrade to add Shattered Space and the Premium Edition's cosmetics to your existing copy, or simply buy the DLC standalone, you'll save quite a bit of money by using these CDKeys discounts.
- DEAL: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month pre-paid cards are just $27.79 at CDKeys, giving you three months for the price of two even after the recent price increase to $19.99/month
Unfortunately, there aren't any equally significant markdowns for the Xbox version of Starfield right now, though it is $96.09 at CDKeys — a few dollars off. Additionally, you can play the base game through Microsoft's buffet-style Xbox Game Pass service. If you're already subscribed, you'll only need to buy a Premium Edition upgrade or Shattered Space itself to touch down on Va'ruun'kai and check out what Bethesda has been cooking up since the game's release.
Is CDKeys legit?
Yes, CDKeys is wholly legitimate, and is a trusted, safe-to-use retailer we recommend frequently. You can read more about the storefront in our detailed CDKeys FAQ, but the TL;DR is that it's become one of our favorite retailers because it offers game codes on old and new releases alike for much better prices than you'll find elsewhere.
Can I play Starfield on Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and other gaming handhelds?
Starfield performance on Valve's Steam Deck handheld was rough initially, but it's improved considerably over time. Currently, you can get a very playable 30-40 FPS as long as you turn the settings down and lower the resolution scaling a bit. The game runs even better on more powerful hardware like the ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and ROG Ally X due to their newer, more performant components.
