It’s no secret that Starfield has missed out on a Game of the Year nomination at this year’s Game Awards, but even fans of Bethesda’s recent space epic aren’t totally surprised.
I adore Starfield, but I’m with the fans on this one. In my review earlier this year, I wrote, “Every now and then, a new game comes along that changes our perception of what the industry is capable of. Starfield is that game. This is beyond what we’ve come to know an open-world to be. Bethesda has created a universe that, despite its vast scale, maintains interest and an impressive attention to detail throughout.” I stand by that. To this day, I love that I can enter a random galaxy, be hailed by a ship out of nowhere, and be sent on a totally unexpected mission. To me, Starfield feels boundless even if it is not. It’s secured a place in my own top three games of the year. That being said, I’m still not totally surprised to see it miss out on a Game Awards GOTY nod.
Take a look at our favourite Starfield wins and fails below.
While Starfield is a great game - and one that I think will only continue to improve with age - it’s up against some incredibly tough competition this year. It’s been an unprecedented year in the industry for quality, with a potential GOTY contender practically releasing every month. Had Starfield released last year in its release state, I think it would’ve easily secured a nod. Had it been released next year, with a tad more development under its belt - adding city maps, smoothing out graphics etc - it too perhaps might’ve gained a nod.
This year though? Its competitors are just too good. In case you missed it, this year’s GOTY nominees are The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Resident Evil 4, Baldur’s Gate 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Alan Wake 2. I expect Alan Wake 2 or Baldur’s Gate 3 will take home the accolade but you never know. Remember when It Takes Two’s win took us all by surprise?
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As reported by PC Gamer, fans agree that while Starfield has a lot to love, it’s not totally surprising to see it miss out (The game did nab a Best RPG nom). “I really enjoy and love Starfield, but [I’m] not terribly surprised,” wrote InitialQuote000, while KopiteTheScot said, “It’s a great game in its own right but [...] for something that took this long to develop and was so hyped up, it felt like they could’ve gone a touch further in places.”
The Game Awards will air on 7 December.
Topics: Starfield, Bethesda, Xbox, The Game Awards