Starfield Bags Most Innovative Gameplay Award From Steam

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Abdullah Waseem

At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered. 

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Against all odds, Starfield has emerged as the winner of Most Innovative Gameplay at the Steam Awards. After failing to win any award at The Game Awards, Starfield finally has another major award for the year.

Why it matters: This RPG was supposed to be the biggest Microsoft exclusive in years. Therefore, this is a big victory for Xbox and Bethesda.

We're thrilled to announce that #Starfield has won Most Innovative Gameplay in the Steam Awards! pic.twitter.com/yTaIbEZbfY

— Starfield (@StarfieldGame) January 2, 2024

However, this award can be controversial for more than a few people since many believe the game is mediocre. The game doesn’t do anything too groundbreaking. It captures a space exploration vibe reminiscent of No Many’s Sky, which is nearly a decade old.

Interestingly, the game’s reviews are mixed on Steam overall, with most of the recent reception being negative. It is quite surprising, then, that the RPG came out on top in a community-voted category.

But that isn’t to say it doesn’t have positive aspects. Despite the lack of seamless space travel, roaming your ship around the galaxy with some stunning planets is always fun. Space combat is also something we liked despite its shortcomings.

Mechanics like seamless travel should have been included with the game at launch but were skipped for one reason or another. PC users can rely on a mod to attempt a workaround, but Bethesda has recently promised new ways to travel in an upcoming update.

Adding to this point, Bethesda has a great platform to capitalize on. No Man’s Sky was a proper disappointment at launch but saw a huge resurgence. Starfield’s launch is a far cry from this disappointment, so it can also get better with time as more updates are released.

For now, we would like to congratulate Bethesda on bagging the ‘Most Innovative Gameplay’ Steam award for the latest title.

We hope upcoming updates change the game for the better. With Microsoft promising games like Avowed next year, we hope to see Bethesda’s RPG receiving continued attention alongside the blockbuster releases of 2024.

Abdullah Waseem

News Reporter

Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.