Starfield Wins Steam's 'Most Innovative Gameplay' Award

That's ridiculous 😂
In a year as good as 2023?!?!?
The game isn't wholly bad but exactly what parts of its gameplay were innovative 🤔

The hubris of Bethesda lives on in this game.

And Red Dead 2 got the Labor of Love Reward, it's totally genuine guys.

@shoeses you beat me to it. At this point I find it baffling that people cannot see how satirical the pc crowd have chosen to be with their votes. They know how to mock the industry 😂

I've been an Xbox fella the last couple of years but it's time to move on and return to my roots as pc guy . Microsoft have made such a mess with Xbox I decided to treat myself to a new pc for xmas.

Nah, gameplay was by far the worst thing about Starfield, honestly it’s the most boring Bethesda game to this date.

I saw Todd Howard at a grocery store in D.C. yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

@rustyduck Wow - just wow

The industry needs to be mocked as it really is one of a few ways gamers can get the attention of these companies…

Starfield? Most innovative gameplay? That's hilarious!!! 😂

.....Proof that Bethesda don't do or understand satire? Perhaps is their AI driven pr department. 😁

That's pretty funny, it's almost 4chan trolling levels

@Chuffer it's not satirical. It's people voting on the games they like, regardless of the category.
Many were already dogging on Starfield since the original announcement trailer. The "mixed" reception was always a given. But a LOT of people really enjoyed it and moved on, because they have a life and don't spend every second online coping because others enjoyed a game they didn't.

It shows complete lack of awareness to not understand that one of the year's most popular games is one of the most beloved, even if it isn't as good as other games that came out

It still amazes me that certain commenters refuse to believe that some people actually enjoyed the game, even if they did not, and instead prefer to regurgitate bile towards the game at every single opportunity, as if we have not heard them repeat it ad nauseum since before the game even launched. It's been months, is it not time to move on with your life?

@themightyant that's your opinion, and others are entitled to theirs. If other people think its innovative then so be it, that is how opinions work.

Why do you feel the need to mock anything? Can't we just celebrate gaming and congratulate them on winning?

People can be indifferent towards a game, but people who are indifferent don't constantly talk about it, they move on. Starfields discourse tipped over to hatred long ago

There's nothing innovative about it's gameplay felt like I'd went back in time with it's constant loading screens and fast travel everywhere approach to space travel. It also crashed so much I've still not finished it and the main story missions are pretty repetitive.

@themightyant people just vote on the games they like, regardless of the category. Don't take it at face value

If there's one thing I learned from Starfield, it is never to purchase Early Access for games. It just didn't live up to the hype in my opinion.

Should have got the best disappointment award

It’s a great game that will keep getting better and better. The Xbox tax is very real.

I actually really enjoyed the game. It's my GOTY for 2023. I did all the achievements also and i am excited for its first DLC. I don't understand the hate this game is getting. Also, even the game is getting some awards, people feel the need to downgrade them. Why is that? I wonder. Most probably because some people expected something else from game and wasn't their cup of tea (which is absolutely fine) or because negative news are giving more clicks i guess, and that's why many sites/reviewers were bashing the game? I saw people playing this game for 400+ hours in steam and left a negative review. How is this possible to play a game for so long if you don't like it? I would have dropped it max in the first 10 hours if i didn't like it. That's why i don't trust reviews, most of them are either biased towards/against a platform or based on subjective opinion. More or less, why should i? I had over 2 thousand hours of gaming in 2023 (i guess much more than the average reviewers), i can make my own opinion. If i like a game i play it, that's it.

@themightyant I still don't understand why you feel the need to mock the game. Why not just disagree and move on? There are plenty of games I do not like, but I don't go around telling everyone in every single article on the game, because that would just be a bit sad and selfish.

What is it about this game specifically that you and the others can't just do that. You actively mock it, and it just comes across a bit desperate that you want everyone to agree with you, when alot of people dont.

We have all read the same comments from the same posters for months ad nauseum, what exactly is it bringing to the conversation that is interesting or worthwhile or new? It is just another dunking contest like the last few months

Earlier this morning I've seen the title of this article and knew comments section would not disappoint. I returned like 3 times since then, so good job PX.

@themightyant Your thoughts on Starfield were interesting the first 5 times, but the next 100 times not so much, and that goes for everyone.

Like I said if I don't like a game, I don't go around every single article spamming it with the same comments over and over again, because that is selfish and honestly a total waste of my time.

If you find that enjoyable then more power to you, I just think its not a good look, and wanted to call it out.

Its not adding anything new to the discussion, its just a dunking contest. I dont think we will ever see eye to eye on this, so I will just leave it there mate

@Sakai but you run around trying to defend everything MS does? It works both ways. They are allowed to be critiqued.

You didn’t have to reply to @themightyant, who honestly is probably one of, if not the most balanced poster who is on PX, they often talk about both Pro’s and Con’s.

It’s not like you came back and explained why you believe it is innovative or had any actual counter argument.

@Sakai So only people with a positive view of a game are allowed to continue to post on articles about a game, and anyone that was disappointed can only post their views once or twice and after that are being "selfish"?
Imagine someone had just got an Xbox for their Christmas and are looking for games to play so they come on this site and read this article about Starfield winning an award so are intrigued. If they then go read the comments and it's only positive comments that are on the article they will be seeing a biased reflection of public opinion. You may not like it but it's important that the comments are allowed to remain balanced and show a true reflection of what public opinion is. No one is forcing you to read those negative opinions, it is fairly easy to spot the tone of a post from a quick glance so you can choose whether to read the remainder of the post or not.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner a quick look through my comment history clearly shows I do not defend everything Microsoft does, even the most basic check. Did you not check before making baseless accusations? And he @ me first, why would I ignore him?

@Kevw2006 I made my opinion clearly obvious the first time, I don't think its constructive to repeat it to you again. People are welcome to share their opinions, but regurgitating it in every article over several months is not needed, no.

What a sick joke, to be honest. While not a bad game, I'd argue the gameplay is not innovative AT ALL.

I'm confused as to the 'innovation' portion. It's not a terrible game. It just feels unfinished. Maybe if there was an award for overhyped, over-promised and Under-delivered...that sounds more accurate.

Starfield is definitely an incredible experience. Not surprised it won most innovative. What other game can you have multiple guns with modding, visit multiple planets, have tons of side quest, a base building game on planets, extract minerals, build/steal ships, and have a new game plus where each one can feel different the last? No other game does all of that. Guess people who play games just play and enjoy. Well deserved, Bethesda!

@Sakai comment sections has made people too comfortable with saying whatever and whenever, hoping for engagement and attention whenever they can.
The internet was a mistake lol

If you go to the steam review page for starfield and select the "review type" drop down it says there are a total of 137,198 reviews with 84,849 positive vs 52,349 negative.

That doesn't really suggest mixed reviews to me.

This has to be the strangest case of people talking so much about a game they supposedly don't like. Why would they do that? They want to control the narrative around the game and make other people share their opinion or scare them away from trying it for themselves.

@J_Mo_Money got to agree, even though its a pretty sad thing to admit.

2023 was a real eye opener for me, and probably the first year I have looked back and thought "wow, the internet really sucks doesn't it"

@Sakai steam user review have it as negative and people say they are the most trustworthy reviews are tell it like it is but now steam votes it for an award and they are trolling lol them goal posts be a moving. They can't have it both ways.

The game is now being review bombed with people butt hurt that it won an award voted by other players. Nearly all negative recent reviews on Steam mention most innovated gameplay. What kind of pyscho reviews a game solely because they didn't like the results of a user based poll?

It will always be funny to me to see a review with 150 hours in a game go on a rampage on how much they hate the game. I wouldn't make it past like 15 hours if I hate a game as much they claim to. I imagine them red faced, steam coming out of their ears for 4+ hours every single day for over a month.

@J_Mo_Money “What other game can you have multiple guns with modding, visit multiple planets, have tons of side quest, a base building game on planets, extract minerals, build/steal ships, and have a new game plus where each one can feel different the last?”

….not to be a jerk, but No Man’s Sky?

@J_Mo_Money yep, they sure like to have their cake and eat it, and its as transparent as anything

The discourse around this game is getting predictable. Some people hate it and act like it's the worst game ever. Others, sometimes in a need to rush to team Xbox's defense, act like it's the best game that ever came out (let alone GoTY in one of the best gaming years ever).

Like most things, the vast silent majority seems to be in the middle: lukewarm at best, mildly disappointed at worst.

(Me? As soon as Todd Howard said you need to play this game for 100 hours before it "really starts," I knew it wasn't for me and uninstalled before starting — but I get how that's different for everyone)

I'm really looking forward to a new year and a new divisive topic that everyone can split into warring factions over.

@EvenStephen7 no man's sky and starfield arent really similar games. Starfield has a deep RPG system that's focus on questing and stats of your character where as No man's sky is more of an exploration, "chill" survival type of experience. No man's sky has come a long way since it's introduction in 2016 but the two games are vastly different experiences.

That could be — I can't speak to Starfield's complexity since I never bothered. I was just playfully teasing, since NMS does all those things you listed (again, just perhaps not as well or as complex).

@EvenStephen7 They've actually added quite a few things since launch (NMS that is) that you'd hardly recognize the game now. It was as bare bones as bare bones can be in 2016. A lot of people enjoy it now since it's gotten, what, 7 years of updates? Now I'm curious where Starfield will be in a few years. After the DLC and mods come out I can't wait to jump back in.

@Sakai "... as if we have not heard them repeat it ad nauseum since before the game even launched. It's been months, is it not time to move on with your life?" Irony.

The best punchline is that Starfield's main Quest structure is stuff that only makes sense in a Fallout or TES world. Why do I have to talk to someone, fly halfway across the known galaxy to squash some space cockroaches or kill some Space Raiders/Bandits, then fly all the way back to tell them? Do we not have phones in 2330 or any kind of messaging system? Then you have Bethesda's 'realism' excuse for making space boring when they have the aforementioned Quest structures, with tech that can jump across the galaxy in 10 seconds. And then what about the realism of needing to pay for ammo, ship, suit, 'n weapon maintenance, & medical care, when 99% of Quest Rewards in the game dwarf that, let alone enough to net even or make a profit? Realism my right...

@Chuffer It's not just PC, it's a problem(?)/thing on console to. You get a lot of trash games getting 5 Star Reviews as memes, and I can only imagine a child crying when they get something from say that trash company that makes Shovelware w/ IPs of Kids shows like Peppa Pig & Transformers because of them.

@shoeses I honestly don't think Starfield is trash, I liked it a lot. I did 2 playthroughs, it just is completely unoriginal. I'm not here to tell people which games are rubbish and which are great, each to their own. Some of my favourites people hate which is fine.

My main reason to comment on this article was how much I love the PC gamers and their ability to inject ridicule at things like awards. No one here in their right mind would say Starfield was innovative, fun for sure a good game but innovative...not way.

Red Dead 2 was particularly funny winning labour of love because much to everyone's chagrin, myself included, R* all but abandoned the game/franchise as it doesn't make the money of GTAV, they did the least amount of effort possible post launch. It's the gamers way of mocking the silliness of certain games up for certain award categories.

The way I see it any game that someone enjoys is a good game and everyone's opinion is valid. I just like to see people show some tom foolery at the seriousness of of awards especially as to which games are best

@Carck People seem to have taken my words to heart as an attack on Starfield. Its absolutely isn't. Heck I even enjoyed it, I played it through twice. I absolutely do think it winning this particular award is satirical though.

Starfield being a example of outstanding innovation is just daft. it's a decent game but its very by the numbers. I cant think of a single thing it does that something else hasn't done already but miles better. Likewise RDR2 wining labour of love is very funny as R* have done the absolute bare minimum with that game post launch...Deep Rock Galactic should have clearly won that, the devs have poured their souls into it over the years with patches and content.

I know you don't need to be shown the general distaste for those two awards but just look at the comments here, thousands are either in disbelief or just laughing their faces off https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/18wvrqk/and_the_winners_are/

What I shouldn't have mentioned in the same comment is my increasing distain for Xbox as a whole. Its made it seem like Starfield is the sole culprit but its many small things over time that has soured my love for the brand. I feel especially this year the brand has done nothing but punch its self in the face at every opportunity. Almost everything I see about Xbox in the news at the moment is something negative that Microsoft themselves or first parties have failed to deliver on. If starfield was the best offering Microsoft can muster then I'm certainly putting Xbox to the side for now. I'm getting back into PC again where there seems an almost infinite amount of new shiny things to play.

Anyway the games we all like are different. Any game I can get enjoyment out of is good in my book and that includes Starfield.

@Chuffer Oh what I said isn't related to Starfield, it was about meme voting and reviews, and how they can be good and bad. Starfield just... exists to me. I see more people complaining about people complaining about it than people actually saying it was mid.

okay what a surprise, pancakes and some apple syrup.

The game is great, haters gonna hate.

At the 16 hour mark I'm starting to enjoy Starfield. I wouldn't say there's anything all that innovative about the gameplay but it's growing on me. Hopefully they continue to add content to this game in the form of new cities and quests.

@GrumpyDev "Fundermentally?"

@themightyant Normal people don't know, don't remember, or don't care that those features have been done before in other games. Starfield combines a multitude of features into one game. The average person would just play the game and have a good time, if they even play videogames at all.

There are people here dumping on a game that is not just highly popular, but good. Who posts about games they don't like for 4 months? They talk about review-bombing and "troll voting" as if it is normal behavior. None of this is normal.

No.
No.
No.
No.No.
No.No.

No.

Starfield is a fine game. It's not my kind of game but for those that enjoy it that's totally fine. I don't give it innovation aspects though as someone that researched games that do it's space travel or other aspects better from old games and consoles because I like to look deep at gameplay mechanics in old games and I find a lot of interesting aspects.

Innovation is not one of those aspects about Starfield. Only if you haven't looked at RPGs, space games or others and only see it stand out because it's a large publisher game and not some Indie people didn't look at that has likely done what it has prior. Not every game has to be innovative but gameplay? If other aspects maybe but gameplay? I don't see it.

Even ignoring No Man's Sky I mean other space vehicle games out there that isn't even space travel but just RPG systems, story or other things.

Mass Effect series (PS3/360/PC from 2007-2012? I think it was) and Ratchet Crack in Time (PS3 2009, something Rift Apart PS5 2021 doesn't even learn from as it's scripted still and underwhelming tech potential is nonexistent, bye dynamic rifts or player controlled rifts via a gadget aka a Portal Gun or dynamic rifts in a boss fight but nope, scripted and bland and pathetic, yes would have cost them more but I didn't ask for a 'trying to be Pixar' story either and a Tools of Destruction from 2007 experience on PS5 and a skill tree from 2007 then better aspects from other entries in the series of gun mods customisation aka Deadlocked, armour pieces and customisation aka Size Matters) have better galactic maps and 'traveling to planets' then how Starfield does it.

Not counting No Man's Sky scale galactic maps on a PS4/Xbox One/Switch and not needing a PC/Xbox Series console to do it and maybe same or less/more dev time and Indie company like them no less that are veteran devs as Shawn Murray did make Burnout for EA back in the day, (obviously it's larger and more better space travel and what Star Wars Battlefront 3 tried to do of seamless planets and space travel even which Elite Squadron on PSP being the remains of that game didn't do as was a loading screen and not seamless.

Haven's Call of the King tried to do similar things on PS2 but it was limited, but still in the right direction of things but I trust Traveller's Tales seeing as they do a lot of cool stuff in Rascal, in Sega Saturn titles and more besides all the Lego games, their older eras were better).

If other aspects sure maybe of particles, story not really, visuals? I mean a more realistic looking game of it's type I mean.... not really. But from a tech stand point it's pathetic for space travel that's for sure.

It's a Bethesda game, if people like them that's totally fine but there was probably VR games, let alone other games more valued of innovation in 2023 then Starfield was.

It didn't innovate it's just did what Bethesda intended it to do be Skyrim in space. But at the same time it's very old design but not the innovative experimental 6th/7th gen era.

I mean if Bethesda wanted survival game aspects they'd add them, they haven't. Indies have pushed survival games for years now with little innovations and cool ideas. AAA hasn't touched survival game elements other than a stamina bar for attacks, not exhaustion or other depths.

I mean I don't call WRC 2023 innovative for it's car builder Sega GT had in 1999, I'm happy it's there and probably different in it's own way but still. Would I Ride 4 that improved upon the Forza Motorsport 1 & 2 region system probably.

Why if like Alfa Romeo Racing Italiano the first rewind system in a racing game and with still unique to this day RPG skill points to increase the rewind time, if a game did that again instead of being as bland as rewind systems are since Grid 2009/Forza Motorsport 3 of 2009 dumbed them down and been that way since? I mean it's a good return of a feature but unless it does enough different no it's not innovation.

Whoever is loudest wants to push history in their eyes. Scientists want 'their' research to be in history books don't they? Again Starfield is a fine game but not innovative in gameplay. Probably in minor areas but not major ones.

Racing games just came to mind because most of them prioritise other things that's why I point out those details of 'innovation' and features that lack in them because their the easiest to point out the direction of the genre these days being realism then well other compelling gameplay features tried in the past and dropped by big and left behind IPs in the genre of the past. Not that the whiplash in NFS Shift wasn't great it was impressive and still is.

But other RPGs, space vehicle games have done more than what Starfield has in it's entire development in the Indie space already.

Only people that don't play many games seem to vote it innovative.