Microsoft & Bethesda E3 2021 Showcase: 8 Ups & 4 Downs

3. Too Many CGI Trailers

Though Microsoft smartly trained their focus on games, games, games, it was a shame that so many of the featured titles had nothing more to offer than gameplay-free cinematic trailers, often rendered entirely with CGI rather than in-engine assets.

The intriguing likes of Starfield, Contraband, A Plague Tale: Requiem, The Outer Worlds 2, and Redfall were all presented with pre-rendered, sans-gameplay trailers, continuing Microsoft's trend of introducing prominent games with glossy-yet-insubstantial CGI reels.

The obvious assumption is that most of these games simply aren't in a state where quality gameplay is ready yet, and while it's easy to appreciate Microsoft's desire to assure gamers they're not going to have another exclusives-light generation, it sure would've been nice to see more gameplay footage.

As gorgeous as all these trailers were, it's tough to get too excited when they ultimately have very little bearing on what the final games will look or feel like.