Technically the game does have innovative gameplay, no AAA studio has the balls to release a game as boring and lacking in gameplay that Bethesda has, they spent over a decade making fast travel the most integral gameplay mechanic.
Fast travel, plus inconsistency in whether or not you even get an "immersive" cutscene. Half the time you click into the menu and BOOM you're standing outside at some new location. About as much fun as fast traveling to another part of an Excel sheet.
That's honestly my main issue. I got 25 hours in and got frustrated I wasn't getting any cutscenes. Been waiting for a mod to add them every time I travel before I go back
Exactly, without them it's literally impossible to feel like you aren't fast traveling. The beauty of previous Bethesda games was that you could play the entire game without fast traveling and you would be rewarded almost every time you chose to walk instead of fast travel.