Summary
Bethesda Game Studios has been hard at work on last year’sStarfield, seemingly breathing new life into a game that saw something of a mixed reception at launch. With thesefairly significantStarfieldupdates, Bethesda is issuing performance upgrades, quality-of-life patches, and all-new, widely requested features, including a revamped map system, which will be available for all players on May 15.
At launch,Starfield’s surface maps were not very helpful or aesthetically pleasing. In fact, one could argue that they weren’t maps at all, just dotted fields showing the relative position of certain points of interest, lacking specific visual information that could be useful for traversal, especially in the game’s multi-level cities. It would appear that Bethesda has listened to these criticisms, as the new-and-improved map system is at once more useful and easier on the eyes.
Though the new maps will be coming toStarfieldon May 15, the beta version of the update has been available for Steam owners since May 1.
Starfield’s Substantial Map Update
New Starfield Maps Could Change the Game
Starfield’s May 15 updateis delivering major changes to Bethesda’s latest RPG, and the new map system might just be the biggest of them all. The patch will remove the uninformative fields of blue dots, replacing them with highly detailed, birds-eye-view renderings of each planetary region and 3D models of interior spaces. This update comes with the obvious benefit of more visual information, allowing players to factor in things like topography, roads, and miscellaneous obstacles, but the improvements go further than this.
For one thing, the update includes map markers for more specific locations such as doctors and shops, which have so far been conspicuously absent from surface maps. What’s more, players will be able to fast travel to any of these more minor locations, either through the map menu or via the scanner. In terms of convenience and quality of life, this attention to detail is one ofStarfield’s best updatesso far, making exploration considerably easier and more enjoyable for both newcomers and veteran players.
Starfield’s New Maps Go Above and Beyond
It isn’t uncommon to hearStarfieldcritics make unfavorable comparisons between it and Bethesda’s earlier RPGs, pointing out how a game likeSkyrimmay have done certain things better. This can be observed in thecritiques ofStarfield’s surface maps, which felt like a step backward in a lot of ways. But with the new update, Bethesda has perhaps delivered its best map system to date.
Unlike a game likeGTA 5orElden Ring, whose maps are just artistic representations of the game world, it appears thatStarfield’s new maps are direct parallels to the actual explorable environments. What this means is that, even if a player has yet to discover a point of interest, they can get a top-down view of it via the map, giving them an indication of what the location might be before they ultimately investigate it. Additionally, the map will display 3D models of ships as they land—a helpful feature forStarfieldplayers who like to steal NPC spacecraft. With these features, the new map system goes beyond quality-of-life improvements and aids exploration in a meaningful and transformative way.
Some of these details may be subject to change as the map update enters its alpha state and as Bethesda continues totweakStarfieldwith new updates. But the revamped system is shaping up to be a significant upgrade, making navigation easier while deepening gameplay through clever new features.
Starfield
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
