Hey Harrison, in what way could a pre-release code be fixed?
Well, they can alter the game structure so the reviewers only get to see the parts of the game that actually work correctly.

This happens in all industries. In design, if a client wants to see their project you dedicate a couple of people to "fixing" the product so that parts of it look finished and polished, but others that haven't had much work done to them are hidden or inaccessible. It happens all the time and I can't imagine it's any different with pre-release game code.

The idea of Pete Hines and Todd Howard being vaporised by a piece of cosmic debris somehow makes me smile.
I think I'm sensing a slight dislike for Bethesda from you I think!

The problem with any gaming series or franchise is that as technology and what is possible moves forward it is very hard for any developer to stick to the original formula and designs that made the very first game a hit. If you stay very close to the original gaming look and feel it can end up feeling very dated. Equally the same is true with gameplay mechanics. You have to move forward or nothing evolves. Die hard fans of the original will hate change, as in your case, whereas others who just liked the series will probably still enjoy the sequels, and others that haven't encountered the series before will love the new releases and then go back to explore the older titles for retro enjoyment. Sadly you can never please everyone all of the time.