Starfield offers a variety of planets, but as the experiences of the first players show, their exploration is only possible to a limited extent.
Exploring planets has been an important topic among fans of the role-playing game long before the release of Starfield. Now the first tests of Bethesda’s sci-fi epic are online, and the “early access” access has started – which means we finally know how the planet exploration in Starfield really works.
How does the planet exploration work? Starfield makes it clear during the exploration of the planets that it is not a space simulation like No Man’s Sky, Elite: Dangerous, or Star Citizen. In Starfield, there are limits that restrict your exploratory desires.
If you want to explore a celestial body, you select a landing point on the planet from your spaceship and then receive a short cutscene in which you land. Afterwards, you find yourself in a limited area of the planet where you can move around. Within this area, you can scan plants and animals, for example.
You cannot simply leave an area on foot. If you walk straight in one direction, sooner or later you will hit an invisible wall where you cannot go any further. Moreover, a message appears telling you “Boundary reached”.
In addition, the game suggests you explore another region of the planet via the map or return to your ship. For the latter, a fast travel option is offered.
If you want to explore another area of a planet and see if it is a new biome, this is only possible via the ship. The journey involves another cutscene.
You cannot fly close to the ground to another landing point and control your ship, as is possible in No Man’s Sky.
Do the boundaries come unexpectedly? No. While Starfield showed in the gameplay showcase of June 2023 with the exploration of the planets, it was never mentioned that a planet could be crossed without limits or with the ship. Here, the speculation of the fans and the high expectations played a major role, leading to hopes for something that was never announced.
Starfield is primarily a role-playing game and not a space simulation, thus bringing entirely different gameplay elements than a No Man’s Sky. Even in the “Mass Effect” games, we cannot explore the entire planet or fly over its entire surface.
If you want to know how Starfield is received by the first players of the early access, we at MeinMMO have summarized some reactions from the community:
“I’m in love” – Starfield convinces fans at release but disappoints due to high expectations
