Well… the “Pixar-like characters with stiff expressions” seems to be a stylistic decision, not a technical blunder.

Not photorealistic, realistic. So normal proportions, faces, textures etc.

Like I’d argue Golden Eye is a game with a realistic art style. It is as realistic as the technology allowed at the time. But it clearly tries to emulate the real world, and not a fantastical cartoony world or a woodcarved illustration, or anime etc etc.

The comment from the ME guy is probably in response to Dragon Age Veilguard being much more cartoony than Inquisition. Characters have huge heads, textures are flat and stylised etc.

I think he means as a style, they aim for a “realistic” style. Not that they will sacrifice anything for “graphical fidelity” or smth