Travel Fast Or Slow: It Doesn’t Matter.

Fast travel represents a conflicting dichotomy. Conceived as a shortcut for those that endeavour to expedite the monotony of travelling vast distances, on an elaborately broad map. It has over time become regarded as either a crutch that limits player exploration or a necessary tool that diminishes the grind of backtracking. Personally I believe the use of, or indeed the wilful abstinence from such a resource, is dependent on various contributing factors. For instance exploring the environment on your way to a quest marker you’ve yet to discover, may yield certain valuable benefits. Improved equipment. Additional elixirs or potions. Or simply an opportunity to gain an extra level or two. But why meander from one place to the next, having already scouted and plundered the many avenues along that route? Complete the quest you are on, collect your enchanted sword of “swift decapitation” and move on.

Exploration is not something that can be negated by fast travel, but rather enhanced. For example there may be a specific area on the map, some uncharted territory that might just conceal some ancient treasure. The area in question is just too extensive to not boast something of value. But in all of the excitement of vanquishing a throng of merciless thieves, that decided to confront you after your weary excursion back from preventing the total annihilation of the world, you’ve missed it. Because of this unexpected encounter and your subsequent pursuit to ensure that civilization remains, well civilised, you’ve since migrated to the other side of the map. Now you could waste hours of your valuable, and very real time traversing back to this far flung location, or make it much more accessible by teleporting there and exploring that area in a timely manner?

Convenience shouldn’t be a crutch. This isn’t real life, but a romanticised depiction of an adventure. There are very few games that possess this expeditious mechanic that I don’t immediately utilise. I’ve explored every inch of “Skyrim” and never felt a tinge of regret that I’ve zipped across this jagged terrain like an erratic time traveler. You could argue that instantaneous travel removes an element of danger from the random events I may have encountered on my laborious journey. But it’s an encounter you are liable to have anywhere you travel too. There is a plethora of open world environments that are very superficial. Rendered with exceptional detail and crafted with a real care for authenticity that is on the whole a visual delight. But you can only gaze at a work of art for so long. For me exploration is all about those casual dalliances. The modest little tangents you have between world ending catastrophes. The route you passed earlier in your adventure, but ignored in favour of fulfilling the particulars of errand you were determined to complete. These kinds of endeavours should never be limited by the asinine persuasions of a few “purists” that consider fast travel cheating. You should never feel ashamed to use a feature that is inherent to the game.