as a fan of the total war games and the paradox interative games: a lot of titles are just not worth buying on release. a few years onward, they're cheaper by a third or half, they're much more stable and bugfree, and they have much more content. the only reason to buy in right away is to experience the highs and lows of it before it's been picked clean by gamer andies who treat the world like a speedrun. but if you're able to avoid that kind of person then you'll be fine to wait as long as you want. the game will only get better.
The Discord server where most of my 'gaming' takes place is a good example of how easily someone can be swayed. We all bought Elden Ring, those who were Souls players knew they'd get it anyway, so no harm done. But there were plenty of the group who'd never played those games before and wanted to 'join in' on the fun while it was fresh. Most of them hated it initially, some never completed it. And it wasn't cheap. Granted Elden Ring didn't need much tweaking outside of a few horrific bosses that had to be nerfed, but the desire to experience it alongside everyone else even though they normally wouldn't care about a game like that, was present. Hype can be so insidious.