Mounts that don't show the players' characters are lame...

[Cielouranos]

I don't see how it is cheap or lazy. It is very much an intended design choice to have the player transform or ride inside it. As long as the mount design is interesting, I personally don't care if the player rides on it, inside it or transforms into it.

I guess I don't understand the design choice on several of them. Are we supposed to be crammed inside the Fall Guys rhino? What happens to us with the Rising Phoenix? Some people seem to be under the impression that we transform into it but the description says we summon a familiar that assumes the likeness of the phoenix.