The Mind-Blowing Starfield Addition That Will Revolutionize Mass Effect 4

Highlights

Starfield's Hand Scanner mechanic revolutionizes the delivery of expository information, immersing players in an interactive experience where they can explore the vast universe by scanning various objects, creatures, and plants.

In Starfield, scanning not only uncovers interesting lore details but also offers valuable rewards. For instance, players can obtain the Survey Slate, which can be sold for credits and XP.

Introducing Starfield's Hand Scanner mechanic into Mass Effect 4 would be advantageous, as it would aid newcomers in comprehending and immersing themselves in the expansive Mass Effect universe.

Creating a Sci-Fi RPG is highly challenging for game developers. When players are given an entire galaxy to explore, developers must put in immense effort to make every corner of that galaxy both enjoyable from a gameplay perspective and fascinating to learn about. While games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor already have a pre-established universe, games like Starfield and Mass Effect are not as fortunate.

The vastness of Mass Effect and Starfield's unique universes is awe-inspiring. Even though players cannot explore the entire galaxy in Mass Effect, BioWare has ensured that the series' lore encompasses every part of it. However, with such rich history and lore in these Sci-Fi universes, it is only natural for these games to present the expository information in a more engaging manner. This is where the Hand Scanner mechanic in Starfield comes in, laying the groundwork for a potential new feature in Mass Effect 4.

Mass Effect 4 Should Borrow Starfield's Hand Scanner

Starting right from

From the very beginning, Starfield's Hand Scanner mechanic stands out as one of the game's unsung heroes, making it a feature that future Sci-Fi RPGs should definitely take inspiration from. Once players unlock the Hand Scanner, they can easily bring it up by pressing LB on an Xbox controller. This action triggers a circle in the center of the screen, accompanied by a few text boxes and Sci-Fi elements. By aiming at an object, ship, person, creature, or plant, they will be highlighted in blue, and the option to scan it with the A button will be available.

When something is scanned in Starfield, the game provides text that varies depending on the type of subject. For animals, their health and behavior are displayed. Plants reveal their origin and the different uses they have. Minerals or resources are stylishly showcased with a breakdown of their elemental composition on the side of the screen. Each scan also offers a small tidbit of lore, serving as bite-sized lessons about Starfield's expansive universe, although not overly significant.

Scanning in Starfield not only serves as a lore-oriented activity, but also offers valuable rewards for players. On the scanning screen's left side, players will find a checklist displaying scanned flora and fauna. Once this checklist is completed and the planet is scanned from space, players will receive a Survey Slate as a reward. This Survey Slate can then be sold to vendors for a decent amount of credits, while also granting the player a significant amount of XP.

The inclusion of Starfield's Hand Scanner in Mass Effect 4 is highly recommended. The Mass Effect universe is incredibly rich, featuring a wide range of vibrant characters and a vast pre-existing history that predates the events of the games by centuries. However, these elements can make it challenging for newcomers to fully immerse themselves in the experience. By incorporating a tool like Starfield's Hand Scanner, players would be able to gain a deeper understanding of the Mass Effect universe simply by scanning objects or individuals. A similar mechanic was successfully utilized in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, where codex entries would display summarized information in the top-right corner of the screen, allowing players to quickly skim through without interrupting gameplay. If Mass Effect 4 were to combine the scanning mechanics of Jedi: Survivor and Starfield, it would result in one of the most immersive open-world environments in gaming.

Starfield is available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC.