"Feels a bit like Elder Scrolls": Starfield is finally "starting to feel like a solid Bethesda title," fans say following Free Lanes update with exploration improvements

Bethesda rolled out a substantial Starfield update recently, in the form of the hefty Free Lanes. Between the advertised additional mechanics, features, and surprise qualify-of-life tweaks, fans of the space RPG truly believe it's become something more people should play.

The update's namesake mechanic alone is something to rave about, because it allows players to fly through particular star systems without needing fast travel. This creates the opportunity to relax and play at a different speed when it comes to moving around the universe.

"It's much less of a chore and more engaging," says one Redditor. "The random encounters are cool. You can set the auto pilot and walk away from the helm and talk to your crew, do game stuff, do dad stuff or do dishes." They go on to say it's "starting to feel like a solid Bethesda title and it's good to be back."

Starfield: Free Lanes & Terran Armada Official Announce Trailer - YouTube

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Another Reddit user calls it "such a game changer," noting they did the Old Neighbourhood quest as part of a new save, and "didn't open a single menu." For a game that involves so much flying around on starships, getting the travel to the point someone can complete missions without utilizing a menu is impressive work.

Other players are enjoying how the point-of-interests have been altered as part of the patch. "Cruise mode really isn't that special nor game changing to me, but the fact that POI repetition is practically gone has actually made exploring fun and worthwhile," another fan on Reddit states.

"It's honestly both things combined," argues someone in the replies. "With the cruise mode and increased POIs you can finally do the Bethesda games thing of pick a direction and do stuff you find on the way." On that note, à Reddit user says it now "feels a bit like Elder Scrolls where I want to do A, but suddenly get distracted by B, C and D around the corner."

It only took Starfield almost three years to get there, but the fact it's giving that vibe of pure exploration is a definite plus. Now, provided Bethesda can maintain this momentum, the stars truly are the limit.

Starfield's Free Lanes update comes with a quality-of-life feature fans have spent months begging Bethesda for, and many more: "One less mod in the LO!"