"VISUAL CUSTOMIZATION - WHATS THE POINT?"
Immersion?"Did the decision to cut third person cutscenes leave the visual customization in a non-sensical, superfluous state?"
Guessing here but it has all the toe tail marks this could be correct.
I'm using the TPP mod, so always see V's appearance, but as much I love the game, were it not for the visual customizations feature, would've quit the game a long time ago. Much more, wouldn't even have bothered buying it. So I'm happy it's in it still. Knew upfront a modder or two would pop up with a TPP mod soon after release, and happy I was seeing that was the case.
Games without any character customization are over and done with lightning quick with me. Super boring. FF7R's a good example. Same costume the entire game through, and pretty lame ones at that. 1 playthrough, I was done. €60.00 down the drain.
It was a bad decision choosing "FPP only", if you ask me, but at least a good decision leaving the visual customization in.