For example, if you're making a third person game a'la Life is Strange, it's critical that your character movement puts you into the world, because that is your main superpower as a dev using a powerful game engine. Not the gameplay, but the existence of a lush environment.

So rather than a stiff walk cycle where your avatar stares blankly ahead, create a world where your avatar's walking naturally changes, and add simple animations to have them react to generic terrain.

For example, turning their head (and a little of their shoulders) to look at anything they get too close to.

Pulling out a phone and using it as a flashlight when they go someplace dark and, again, shining it onto surfaces they get too close to.

Loose rocks to slide around on, sand to waddle through, small logs or whatever to step onto or over - all automatically.

Doors to open, windows to look out of - all with an animation.

I would argue that these things are more important than how good your assets look.

If my avatar makes it feel like the world exists, then the world exists.

If they robotically walk forward and just blankly stride into walls, that makes me think the world doesn't exist.

Which is a shame, because the lush world is your main advantage.