Pokemon Go saves lost player after Google Maps leaves them stranded

Pokemon Go’s overworld is useful for more than just catching ‘Mons, as it helped one player who was lost in a forest, as Google Maps wasn’t detailed enough to guide them.

Pokemon Go uses OpenStreetMap as the base for its world, having shifted from Google Maps back in 2017. This means unique structures or designs can appear in Pokemon Go that wouldn’t be seen on Google Maps, as it has updates suggested by community members.

It turns out that the detailed map in Pokemon Go can help people who are lost. Users on the Pokemon Go Reddit shared a story from NRK News about a player named Helga Dis Isfold Sigurdardottir, who got lost in a forest in Spain with her husband and friend, and was saved by the world of Pokemon Go.

Pokemon Go’s map is better than Google Maps

Niantic

The forest wasn’t properly represented on Google Maps, but the overworld on Pokemon Go featured numerous trails that allowed them to find their way back to civilization. It seems other users had mapped the forest out themselves in the past.

This isn’t to say that the world of Pokemon Go is a perfect representation of our own. While it does manage to capture some bizarre real-life environments, it’s not always perfect when it comes to buildings and roads in packed areas.

Pokemon Go also has an abundance of Pokemon, Gyms, and PokeStops sitting around that can make it hard to traverse areas. There are a lot of distractions, especially in busy cities or tourist spots, especially as players can cause lots of Pokemon to spawn using Incense and Lure Modules.

That being said, it’s still incredibly useful to have it as a backup map in instances where other digital options have failed. Just be careful not to get even more lost while Shiny hunting or following Routes for Zygarde Cells.