Is Starfield Already Disqualified for the Game of the Year Award?
Despite the hype surrounding Starfield, it faces tough competition and its reliance on familiar mechanics may hinder its chances at winning the coveted Game of the Year award in the highly competitive gaming landscape of 2023
Article Key Points
Starfield became the fastest-selling title in Bethesda's history, but user reviews have since cooled, potentially affecting its chances in the Game of the Year race.
The year 2023 has witnessed a remarkable surge in the gaming industry, boasting an impressive lineup of eagerly awaited games. This has posed a formidable challenge for Starfield to distinguish itself among the rest.
Fans have voiced their criticism towards Starfield, pointing out its heavy reliance on familiar gameplay mechanics and lack of groundbreaking innovation. As a result, its reception has suffered, ultimately impacting its chances of receiving prestigious awards.
After debuting at E3 2018 and a wait of over five years, Bethesda's Starfield was finally released in September. As expected, the game quickly climbed the ranks on both Steam and Xbox sales charts, becoming Bethesda's fastest-selling title. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics, user reviews have since cooled, raising doubts about Starfield's chances in the highly competitive Game of the Year race. Unfortunately, it seems that Starfield has become another casualty of the jam-packed release schedule in 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many anticipated games were delayed for months or even years, resulting in a flood of new releases as the industry tries to catch up.
Now that the continuous flow of game releases consistently offers players a new high-quality game almost every week, it has resulted in 2023 being one of the most remarkable years in gaming solely based on sales data. The sheer quantity of exceptional games that 2023 delivered to players is astonishing, and within a year featuring a new Zelda game, a new Final Fantasy, and long-awaited sequels that fans have been anticipating for more than a decade, Starfield serves as a cautionary tale highlighting the importance of strategic release timing and avoiding an overreliance on familiarity.
How Starfield Stacks Up Against The Competition
Starfield's Game of the Year candidacy faces a significant hurdle due to the multitude of remarkable games it competes against for this year's top honors. From January to December, a minimum of two games are being released each month, all potential contenders for Game of the Year. Furthermore, numerous other titles are expected to be nominated in various categories. To assess Starfield's standing against games like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Baldur's Gate 3, one valuable benchmark is the aggregate scores from critics and users, as well as their Steam ratings if applicable.
Game | Release Month | Metacritic Score (Critic) | Metacritic Score (User) | Steam Rating (If Applicable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
January | 89% | 88% | "Very Positive" 91% | |
Hogwarts Legacy | February | 84% | 85% | "Very Positive" 91% |
Octopath Traveler 2 | February | 84% | 87% | "Overwhelmingly Positive" 95% |
Resident Evil 4 (Remake) | March | 93% | 79% | "Overwhelmingly Positive" 97% |
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | April | 85% | 64% | "Mixed" 64% |
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | May | 96% | 83% | N/A |
Street Fighter 6 | June | 92% | 70% | "Very Positive" 88% |
Diablo 4 | June | 86% | 21% | "Mixed" 58% |
June | 87% | 81% | N/A | |
Pikmin 4 | July | 87% | 90% | N/A |
Remnant 2 | July | 80% | 69% | "Very Positive" 83% |
Baldur's Gate 3 | August | 96% | 89% | "Overwhelmingly Positive" 96% |
Armored Core 6 | August | 86% | 80% | "Very Positive" 89% |
August | 88% | 80% | "Very Positive" 87% | |
Starfield | September | 83% | 70% | "Mostly Positive" 70% |
Lies of P | September | 80% | 82% | "Very Positive" 92% |
Mortal Kombat 1 | September | 83% | 74% | "Mostly Positive" 74% |
October | 90% | 91% | N/A | |
Super Mario Bros. Wonder | October | 92% | 91% | N/A |
Alan Wake 2 | October | 89% | 88% | N/A (Epic Games Store exclusive) |
Starfield's Reception From Fans and Reliance on Familiar Mechanics Rule it Out
Starfield faced significant criticism upon its release for relying on mechanics that Bethesda has used for over a decade. While fans were initially drawn to the concept of Fallout 3 or Skyrim in space, the years leading up to Starfield's launch made it clear that the game needed to offer more than just a rehash of familiar elements. While Starfield does introduce some new features, they are not on the same groundbreaking scale as Tears of the Kingdom or Baldur's Gate 3, which have redefined their respective genres.
Starfield's fan reception has undeniably shifted in the wake of its release, as it leans too heavily on what might have worked in the past. As players spend more time with the game, they are finding their continued engagement to be less rewarding than other games. This shift in perception is likely to influence which nominees players might see at the 2023 Game Awards. While Starfield is undoubtedly a quality release, simply being "good" is not enough to secure the year's top honors in a competitive year like 2023.
Starfield
Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield is a sci-fi action role-playing game that offers players the opportunity to interact with various factions, engage in thrilling combat, personalize their main character and ship, and explore a vast universe containing over 100 systems and 1,000 planets.
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Release Date: September 6, 2023
Developer(s): Bethesda
Publisher(s): Bethesda
Genre(s): Action, RPG
ESRB Rating: M for Mature 17+ (Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence)
Estimated Gameplay Duration: 20 Hours
X|S Enhanced: Yes
File Size Xbox Series: 101 GB (September 2023)
Metascore: 86 (For more information, visit the Official Site, Steam, or Xbox Games Store)
Editor's P/S
As an enthusiastic fan, I am concerned about Starfield's chances of winning the Game of the Year award. While the game has its strengths, such as its impressive graphics and immersive world-building, it also has some weaknesses, such as its reliance on familiar mechanics and lack of groundbreaking innovation. In a year with so many other great games, such as Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield may struggle to stand out.
However, I believe that Starfield is still a strong contender for the award. The game has been praised for its engaging story, memorable characters, and deep role-playing mechanics. It has also been a commercial success, selling over 20 million copies in its first week of release. Ultimately, I think Starfield's chances of winning the Game of the Year award will depend on how well it is received by critics and players in the coming months. If the game can continue to generate positive buzz, it may still have a chance of taking home the top prize.
