Starfield: The Galaxy-Spanning Game
Starfield, a massive galaxy-spanning game, has excited players with its space-faring starships. In fact, it is reportedly the most-played next-gen exclusive on Xbox and the most successful launch in Bethesda's history. However, once players land their starships, traversal becomes limited, a decision by Bethesda that director Todd Howard recently explained.
Game Environment and Transportation Modes
The game's sprawling environment across 1,000+ planets has players hoping for additional transportation modes. Currently, players can run and use boost packs for movement but this is found to be insufficient. One user even called for the introduction of land vehicles such as a simple speeder bike or the like to speed up the travel to unknown locations.
Bethesda's Director Explains Traversal Decisions
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Howard elucidated on why Bethesda decided against land-based transportation options. Howard explained that allowing players to traverse on foot aids in controlling the speed at which they are discovering new things, adding to the player's experience.
'In one sense, you do have a vehicle, you obviously have your spaceship so you can go around space, but then on the surface, you do have a jetpack which you can upgrade,' Howard further elaborated. Different planet gravity levels also add to the unique travel experiences.
Player's Feedback
However, players aren't entirely satisfied with these jetpack boosters. They are increasingly calling for improvements in jetpacks or the introduction of ground vehicles. Meanwhile, they are hopeful that modders will promptly address this concern and enhance the game's travel options. Despite some dissatisfaction with traversal speeds, Starfield continues to engage its community with its immersive and expansive gameplay.