Starfield is a blast, but it isn’t without its problems. This is one of the most fleshed-out universes that Bethesda has delivered, featuring highly detailed worlds filled with life and new visions of a greater tomorrow. However, it seems that older Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout do something better than Starfield: having a proper map system.
One of the biggest points of frustration we’ve encountered here at the Prima Games studio is the lack of, for a better word, a good map in Starfield. While exploring large cities like New Atlantis, you’re treated to the rough equivalent of a connect-the-dots picture of the map in the city, and it’s just not very well thought out overall. Even with its age, Skyrim gives you an utterly fleshed-out map showing exactly where to go.
To be upfront, the map in Starfield is almost unacceptable. Unless you’re planning on fast travel to every location you’ve encountered, there is really no way to get the point across of where you need to go with its current system. Maybe it’s just a bug that is affecting everyone who has started playing in Early Access, but we can only hope that Bethesda does a massive overhaul to this particular portion of their most recent RPG adventure.
Alongside some other accessibility options that should be available, like a FOV slider and proper brightness/gamma controls, Starfield feels a little underwhelming when it comes to making sure the player is under the proper control of the world around them. However, on the opposite side of the coin, Starfield feels excellent to play when you’re in the shoes of your created character, so it’s hard to fault them for that. It’s a 90/10 situation, with glaring faults like this putting a bit of tarnish on an otherwise fantastic experience.
There’s still plenty to see in Starfield, even if the maps leave something to be desired. Check out our Starfield review and deep dive into its various systems. If you need an excuse to stay home and play more of the game, we’ve also got you covered with a doctor’s note, courtesy of Bethesda.
