Most of the hardcore Bethesda RPG fans who’ve invested thousands of hours into Skyrim and Fallout 4 can't wait for the release of Starfield.
Since last month’s Starfield Direct, some fans have been spending their time creating impressive 3D renders of guns shown in the deep dive or adding to a massive document that contains all of the pre-release info you could ever need to know.
Now, however, one group has decided to see what they might be able to glean about the in-game state of the Earth from a globe featured in the showcase.
Do you think this unassuming piece of interior decor might hold some clues to the fate of the Earth in Starfield?
This discussion was kicked off by user Sdejo, who posted an image of a wooden globe that can be seen in one of the outposts featured in the deep dive, alongside a screenshot from Google Earth showing our planet at roughly the same angle.
“On this globe, Brazil (looks to have gotten) rid of a good part of its rainforest,” they observed of the differences in how the two seem to portray North and South America, continuing: “Also, either ice is reaching California or Canada is a desert”.
They also added that, in their estimation, the bit of globe that shows the area of Mexico that’s home to the Chicxulub crater, is obscured in the deep dive via a spot of reflecting sunlight. Since the crater was created by the impact of the asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs over 66 million years ago, they suggest that it not being visible could be something of note.
“Based on some quick comparisons with topographic data in Brazil, it looks like it's showing a sea level rise of at least 1000 feet,” suggested another fan in the thread, user nimbulan. They also pointed out: “Even the worst climate models right now are predicting (a rise of) only 13 feet by 2150, so I have to admit I'm having trouble understanding this.”
Some of the spacers in the thread seem convinced that the globe could potentially be designed to subtly inform players of the Earth’s fate, with one suggesting it could act like the globe in Half-Life: Alyx.
That said, all of these ideas assume that it was created around the point at which the planet began to deteriorate, as the fans in the thread have theorised.
Regardless of whether you’re now intensely studying our planet’s geography to prepare for your visit to it in Starfield, make sure to follow us for lots of guides to its world and mechanics.
You can also check out our latest mods of the month for some killer Skyrim and Fallout mods that’ll help tide you over until release.