Beyond Shattered Space: 5 Perfect Companion Games for Starfield Fans - Critical Codex

It’s been nearly a year since the Shattered Space DLC dramatically expanded the Starfield universe, solidifying its place as a modern sci-fi epic. With the full experience—including all its updates and DLC—now widely available, many players are jumping in for the first time or revisiting the Settled Systems. This renewed interest highlights a common question: once you’ve seen all that this massive universe has to offer, where do you go next?

This curated list is for both new explorers and veteran members of Constellation. We’ve chosen five essential games that resonate with the core themes of Starfield—grand exploration, deep role-playing, and compelling storytelling. These are timeless experiences that belong in any sci-fi fan’s library.

1. The Outer Worlds: Corporate Dystopia Done Right

The player character looks out over a crowded, neon-lit street in a futuristic space colony in The Outer Worlds. — Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment

If you love the nuanced dialogue, quirky characters, and morally grey corporate factions of Starfield, then The Outer Worlds is your next destination. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the masters behind Fallout: New Vegas, this game feels like a spiritual cousin to the Bethesda RPG formula, but with its own satirical, anti-capitalist bite.

You play as a colonist awakened from cryosleep, thrown into the Halcyon system, a sector of space owned and operated by a board of cartoonishly evil corporations. The game shines with its brilliant writing and meaningful choices. Your decisions don’t just affect the main story; they ripple through the lives of your companions and the fate of entire settlements. The first-person combat is snappy and satisfying, complete with a time-dilation mechanic reminiscent of V.A.T.S., making it immediately familiar and fun for any Starfield veteran.

The Outer Worlds is a tight, polished RPG that respects your time without sacrificing depth, making it a perfect first stop on your journey beyond Starfield.

Even more exciting, the highly anticipated sequel, The Outer Worlds 2, is set to launch on October 29, 2025, making this the perfect time to play through the original.

You can explore the Halcyon system and stick it to the corporations today. Find your copy of The Outer Worlds here. Be sure to also check out the two major DLC expansions, Peril on Gorgon and Murder on Eridanos, for the complete experience.

2. No Man’s Sky: For the Boundless Explorer

A player character in a blue cape looks out over a vibrant alien landscape with a crashed ship in No Man's Sky. — Image credit: Hello Games

Does the thought of over 1,000 planets in Starfield excite you? Now imagine a universe with over 18 quintillion. For the player who truly loves the exploration, discovery, and “scan everything” loop, No Man’s Sky is an essential experience.

What started as a controversial launch has evolved into one of the greatest redemption stories in gaming. Today, No Man’s Sky is a sprawling, beautiful survival and exploration game. You can seamlessly fly from space straight down to a planet’s surface, hop out of your ship, catalog alien flora and fauna, mine for resources, and build sprawling bases. It’s a game about the quiet wonder of discovery, offering a nearly endless universe to get lost in.

Answer the call of infinite exploration and start your journey into No Man’s Sky here.

3. Mass Effect Legendary Edition: The Cinematic Storytelling Masterpiece

Commander Shepard aims a rifle at a giant Reaper ship during a dramatic sunset on an alien planet in Mass Effect Legendary Edition. — Image credit: EA

Perhaps what draws you to Starfield is the grand, overarching narrative and the deep connections you form with your companions aboard The Eye and The Lodge. If a truly epic story is what you crave, then there is no better choice than the Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

This collection remasters the entire original trilogy, putting you in the boots of Commander Shepard, a hero tasked with saving the galaxy from a terrifying race of sentient machines known as the Reapers. Mass Effect sets the gold standard for cinematic storytelling in gaming. Your choices have massive, galaxy-altering consequences that carry over from one game to the next. The real heart of the game, however, is your crew. You’ll assemble a diverse team of soldiers, scientists, and mercenaries, each with their own rich backstory, loyalty missions, and potential for friendship or romance.

While it’s less of a pure open-world and more of a mission-based RPG, its focus on character and narrative is second to none.

Become a galactic hero and lead a team that feels like family. Get the entire Mass Effect Legendary epic trilogy here.

4. Cyberpunk 2077: For the Immersive First-Person RPG Fan

A first-person view of combat in Cyberpunk 2077, with a tattooed enemy brandishing a katana in a sunlit street. — Image credit: CD Projekt Red

If you love the first-person perspective, deep character customization, and mature storytelling of Starfield, then diving into the neon-drenched streets of Cyberpunk 2077 is a no-brainer. After its own transformative comeback, the game is now a top-tier RPG experience, especially with its acclaimed Phantom Liberty expansion.

You play as V, a mercenary in the sprawling, futuristic metropolis of Night City. The game offers incredible freedom in how you build your character. You can be a netrunner who hacks enemies from the shadows, a brutish solo who rips doors off their hinges, or a gunslinging nomad who masters every weapon. The world is dense, vertical, and packed with incredible detail and compelling side stories. The writing is sharp, dealing with complex themes of transhumanism, identity, and power.

It swaps the vastness of space for the density of a single, breathtaking city, but the core appeal of inhabiting a deeply realized sci-fi character is stronger than ever.

Plug in and explore the gritty future of Night City by grabbing your copy of Cyberpunk 2077 here.

5. Fallout 4: The Post-Apocalyptic Sibling

A Mr. Handy robot hovers inside a retro-futuristic 1950s-style kitchen from the pre-war era in Fallout 4. — Image credit: Bethesda

If what you truly love about Starfield is that unique “Bethesda Game Studios feel”—the endless exploration, the environmental storytelling found in every terminal, and the obsessive loop of looting everything that isn’t nailed down—then the most logical place to turn is its post-apocalyptic sibling, Fallout 4.

Set in the irradiated wasteland surrounding Boston, Fallout 4 puts you in the role of a vault dweller searching for their lost son. The core experience will be immediately familiar: it’s a massive open world where you are free to go anywhere and do anything. The game places a huge emphasis on crafting and base-building, allowing you to create and defend your own settlements across the Commonwealth. The skills you hone in Starfield—scouring every container, hoarding resources, and crafting the perfect weapon—are the very same skills that will ensure your survival here.

For an experience that captures the heart and soul of a BGS role-playing game, there is no better choice.

Explore the Wasteland and see where the Bethesda magic all started. You can grab the Fallout 4 Game of the Year Edition here.

The Final Frontier

A full year after the release of Shattered Space, the legacy of Starfield is its incredible scope and the adventures it inspired. Each of these five games carries that same torch of grand ambition, offering hundreds of hours of exploration for those looking to chart a new course. They aren’t just great sci-fi games; they are essential experiences that stand the test of time.

And if you’re looking ahead to the next big looter-shooter, be sure to check out our Borderlands 4 Pre-Order Guide to see which edition is right for you.

What other games do you feel are a timeless part of the sci-fi RPG canon? Share your thoughts in the comments!