Yes, but it’s by choice. Big companies aren’t trying to impress nerds. Their demographic is everyone that is easily fascinated by “shiny” things.
The hardware it was made for also prioritized resolution over frames per second. So hyper realism became a focal point of many of the AAA games created. And hyper realism is a one-way street (aesthetically speaking).
It culminates in Hellblade. With ridiculously stunning visuals, but little else going for it.
At what point would you say that a game isn’t a game anymore, but closer to an interactive movie?
To fair, the “peach fuzz” was a superfluous addition.
As much as I enjoyed Horizon, it was very much a ‘one and done’ game for me. I would have liked more emphasis on replayability than skin textures and raytracing.
I think the general consesus is that Origins is the way to go with Dragon Age. You’re also more likely to see it go on sale soon now that Vailguard is out.