Counter-point:
AAA companies are all overtaken with woke garbage and out of touch suits that wouldn't know a fun game idea unless it came with a micro-transaction attached. If you want a genuinely fun game in the classic style you're going to have to make some sacrifices. Those sacrifices are going to be on budget and that is primarily going to be the quality of the assets. The best you can hope for is stuff made tastefully that fits a theme. Top notch quality calls for top notch pay, you're dealing with passion projects here, with largely self-taught talent.
I don't disagree that things could probably be higher quality, but I mean I play classic EQ still so I'm willing to deal with subpar visuals if the core is quality. We'll have to see if that is Pantheon or not. This argument is admittedly easier to make with a game like Monsters and Memories because they haven't taken any player $$$. I haven't given them a penny so I guess it doesn't sting for me.
This isn't a new argument, but neither is whining about the graphics