I'm not sure I even want it because their games were groundbreaking back in the 00s but the seams were showing by skyrim and Starfield especially.

The repeated use of the same cave or ruins layouts feels like a metaphor for their games themselves. The ways the games are realistic can even work against them because the other ways they are unrealistic ends up putting them in this RPG uncanney valley. Like stealth archers exploiting how the NPCs will react to getting shot but then just go back to what they are doing and forget about the arrow sticking out of them. Or how you can rob someone blind as long as they don't see you actually grabbing the item. Or if you want to look at an item on display in a store or inn, the moment you touch it you're treated as a theif and even a pet being present means guards are called.

Playing Starfield really drove it home. It was interesting at first until I got to the main city and that really drove home that this was just skyrim in space. Or not even, skyrim where you could teleport to other locations with your ship.

Maybe they finally have evolved it a bit and it'll be better than what I'm expecting, but then there's that Microsoft thing you brought up...

I'm probably also in the minority, but you're not alone.