On the other hand, using procedural generation should free up a bunch of dev time that you could than be using to make sure the models that the generation uses are quality.

Now comparing individual features, elex looks better, while starfield should be better looking. Since they used procedural generation and should have used that time saved crafting hand crafted worlds making their base models better.

It’s more than an apt comparison, if you look at what they want you to compare.

This is a city. The one you go to frequently for the main questline. It's a whole other level of fucked if you're procedurally generating the core locations in your game without 'handcrafting' over it. Looking like this is inexcusable and it still crippling my computer is an insult.

Not all of Starfield is randomly generated. This specific example is from one of the main big cities that are definitely hand built. The random stuff is mostly deserts and outposts like what players can build. So even according to your standards, this is a correct and legitimate comparison.

There's no excuse for not improving the water system since they released Skyrim. With that budget, it should've been doable. I mean, look at that. It looks like sewage.

I wouldn't think that the city on the planet where the screenshot was made (and I don't remember the name) was procedurally generated