Starfield is taunted as the largest explorable game yet with thousands of explorable planets. Bethesda has claimed several times that there is no limit to the amount of exploration that can be done in the game. Starfield has suffered several leaks. The latest came days before the launch of the game and has raised concerns about the game’s “limitless exploration”.
The screenshot from a leaked video/clip that is raising concern was leaked on a Chinese forum over the weekend. In the image we sighted, there is a popup that says, “Boundary Reached. Open the map to explore another region or return to your ship”.
It was revealed that the poster walked in a straight line for over 40 minutes before encountering the boundary limit message. Although the video has been removed, fans of the upcoming game are now questioning the legitimacy of Bethesda’s claim.
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A few days before the ‘Boundary Reached’ video surfaced, Pete Hines, Bethesda’s Head of Publishing was in a podcast where he claimed he has played Starfield for over 80 hours and that, “This game doesn’t even get going until you finish the main quest,” in an attempt to explain the level of exploration that can be done in the game.
Hines mentioned that you can spend over 40 hours on Starfield doing side quests without even touching the main story. He mentioned that the studio purposely doesn’t talk about the main story to avoid spoilers.
These claims were challenged by fans of the upcoming game who insisted that the studio lied. However, some game journalists like Jez Corden of Windows Central defended the game saying, “This is actually not entirely accurate. Just wait for the reviews. The half-truths being spread are being done in bad faith sometimes”.
Explanations for the ‘Boundary Reached’ Starfield image
One of the explanations that was given in defense of the ‘Boundary Reached’ message was that the leaker was likely playing the tutorial section of the game. The leaker was challenged to test their theory on another planet.
“Guys, there is nothing stopping you from exploring the planet,” said Darrius Fears, a diehard Starfield fan. “It just may be a loading screen, or you may have to land at the next spot (a short loading or cutscene) to continue exploring the same planet.”
Obviously, most of those who already have their hands on the game (two weeks earlier) cannot say much until the embargo lifts by noon on 31 August 2023. Answers to some of these controversies will likely start emerging on the Internet after the embargo lifts. Considering the size of the RPG, expect lengthy reviews.
What happens after you reach Starfield’s “exploration boundary?”
When the player got the “Boundary Reached” message, three options were presented. The first was the option for the player to “Fast travel to ship” which will allow the player to zoom off to another planet. The second option was for the player to “Open planet map” and probably explore other regions of the same planet.
The third option was for the player to cancel the message. We want to believe that if the player picks the third option, they can continue to walk as far as invisible boundaries allow. In other words, the message doesn’t necessarily mean that exploration of the planet was over.
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Starfield’s exploration mechanics are likely going to be the front burner when the review embargo lifts in a few hours. That is because it has been the key selling point of the game. During the Starfield Direct presentation in June, Todd Howard, the game director claimed players can choose and explore any planet.
Another likely talking point of the upcoming game is the locked 30fps on consoles. Starfield is scheduled for a 6 September launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC. However, those who pre-ordered the Premium Edition or the Constellation Edition will have a 5-day early start beginning from 1 September 2023.
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