Sometimes, games appear very different once they actually release compared to pre-release showings; what in your view are some of the biggest glowups (upgrades) and downgrades in the same game from pre-release to the final product? (Can be both graphics, but also style, vibe, etc)

I'll start; the Switch 2 port of Star Wars Outlaws looked awful and ran like a three-legged tortoise, but the final product was much better and a real showcase for the system.

There's this classic:

Gotta go back 21yrs to ‘05 for when Sony tried showing the CGI rendered trailer of Killzone 2 as actual gameplay.

That's the first one that came to mind for me too.  Jack Tretton straight up lied when asked about it point-blank.  So glad that tool is gone from Sony.  Really didn't like that guy.

Meanwhile for me Star Wars Outlaws demo is what made me abandon my idea of Switch 2 being my primary system for third party lol.

I think Aliens Colonial Marines had a notorious trailer that was much better than the same scenes in the final release.

Not videogame related, but Sonic devs listened to the fans with the Sonic movie and altered Sonic's design before it released for the better. The OG design was the stuff of nightmares.

Pretty much everything from Ubisoft in the early to mid-2010s lol. But since Watch Dogs has been mentioned, I'll add Rainbow Six: Siege

Talk about a night and day difference!

Fable 1.

Although I still loved the game.

The bullshit with this one makes Killezone 2 and Watch Dogs look like child's play.

The OG design would have killed the film franchise in the crib.  I’m impressed they turned it around so quickly.