Can You Walk Around a Whole Planet in Starfield? Exploring the Truth Behind Planetary Travel

The burning question on many gamers’ minds regarding Starfield is: can you truly circumnavigate a planet on foot? The simple, direct answer is no, you cannot walk around an entire planet in Starfield continuously. While the game boasts a staggering number of planets to explore, the exploration mechanics are built around a system of designated landing zones and localized exploration areas, rather than seamless, globe-trotting adventures.

The Reality of Starfield’s Planet Exploration

Starfield’s planet exploration doesn’t operate like a classic sandbox game with a fully rendered, continuous world. Instead, when you select a landing spot from space, the game renders a square-shaped chunk of the planet that’s approximately one or two kilometers wide. Think of it as a self-contained biome. Once you’ve touched down, you can certainly explore that specific zone in any direction, uncovering resources, encountering flora and fauna, and even stumbling upon points of interest.

However, these exploration areas are not connected seamlessly. You cannot walk from one exploration zone to the next without returning to your ship, going back to space, and then selecting a new landing spot on that same planet. This design choice means that while you can technically explore every part of a planet, you must do so in separate, instanced chunks. This approach allows Bethesda to include the sheer number of planets while maintaining performance and detail.

Understanding the Gameplay Mechanics

When it comes to planet exploration, Starfield offers a mix of free exploration within designated areas and a more structured method of travel between them. Here’s a simplified view:

1. Select a Landing Spot: From your ship in space, you can choose virtually any location on the planet to land.
2. Explore the Zone: Once landed, you are free to walk, run, and use your boost pack to traverse the environment, which will be roughly a kilometer or two in width.
3. Return to Ship: When you’re done with that area, you must return to your ship to leave.
4. Select Another Zone: From space, you can select a new landing spot on the same planet, leading to another unique instanced area.

This system ensures each location is detailed and that the game runs smoothly while still offering the feeling of extensive planetary exploration, even if not continuous.

Why This Design Choice?

Bethesda opted for this “chunk-based” planet system for several reasons:

• Performance Optimization: Rendering entire planets seamlessly would require an immense amount of processing power, which could severely impact the game’s performance across different platforms.
• Detail and Variety: By focusing on rendering smaller, instanced areas, developers can include more intricate details, unique points of interest, diverse biomes, and high-quality environmental assets.
• Content Management: This system allows for better content management and the ability to place unique encounters, resources, and other elements deliberately throughout the game world without being limited by the requirements of a seamless, planetary scale.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Starfield Planet Exploration

Here are 15 frequently asked questions that provide additional clarity about exploring planets in Starfield:

1. Can you fully explore a planet in Starfield?
   Yes, technically, you can explore every part of a planet, but you must do it in chunks. You select a landing zone, explore that area, then return to your ship to select a new location.

2. Can I walk the whole planet in Starfield?
   No, you cannot walk around an entire planet without loading screens. You explore specific, instanced areas, not a single continuous surface.

3. How long does it take to walk around a planet in Starfield?
   Since you cannot walk around an entire planet continuously, this question doesn’t apply. You explore defined areas, and walking times within them can vary from a few minutes to about an hour in one direction.

4. Can you fly around the planet in Starfield?
   While there isn’t an official way to fly your ship around a planet in the manner of a space simulator, players have been able to reach the planets atmosphere with creative flying. However, this is not the official way to move around and explore planets.

5. Can you land manually in Starfield?
   Unfortunately, you cannot land manually in Starfield. Landing is an automated process where you select a landing zone and the game takes care of the actual landing sequence.

6. Will Starfield really have 1,000 planets?
   Yes, Starfield features over 1,000 planets spread across over 100 star systems. These planets include a range of environments from barren wastelands to habitable worlds with diverse life.

7. Can you build on Starfield planets?
   Yes, you can build outposts on planets. This feature allows players to establish bases, gather resources, and manage their crafting and development in the game.

8. Are there cities in Starfield?
   Yes, Starfield has four major cities: New Atlantis, Akila, Neon, and The Key. The Key is a space station, while the others are the capitals of different systems.

9. Why am I walking so slow in Starfield?
   If your character is walking slowly, make sure the “Toggle Always-Run” setting is activated. Pressing [Caps Lock] on a keyboard toggles between walking and running.

10. How many hours does it take to complete Starfield?
    The main story of Starfield is approximately 30-40 hours long. However, playing through all the content, side missions, and exploration can take 60 hours or more. Speed runners have completed the main story in as few as three hours.

11. Will Starfield be bigger than No Man’s Sky?
    While Starfield has 1,000 planets, No Man’s Sky features approximately 18 quintillion planets. While Starfield incorporates procedural generation, its scope is not as expansive as No Man’s Sky.

12. Can you fly your ship in Starfield?
    Yes, you can fly your ship in Starfield, engaging in space combat and navigating from system to system, however planetary flight in the sense of flying directly over the surface is not a primary feature.

13. What happens if you beat Starfield multiple times?
    Starfield’s New Game+ feature allows you to start over, retaining your skills and progress, while offering new story permutations and options.

14. Can you land on the moon in Starfield?
    Yes, you can land on the moon (Luna) in the Sol system, including the Apollo Landing Site. There is a mission that requires you to visit this location.

15. Does Starfield have guns?
    Yes, Starfield features a variety of weapons, including standard-issue firearms like assault rifles, and modifiable options.

Conclusion

While you cannot embark on a seamless walk around an entire planet in Starfield, the game compensates by providing detailed, diverse, and engaging exploration zones. The focus is on creating interesting places to explore, with unique encounters and environments, even if they aren’t part of a single, continuously rendered world. It’s a trade-off, but one that allows for the sheer scale of planetary diversity and gameplay performance. With thousands of planets to discover and numerous in-game systems, the game offers a compelling adventure, even if it doesn’t include a seamless walking experience across entire planets.