This does not look like a game thats utilizing 125gb worth of space compared to other titles around that range. The OG GOTY Edition only takes up 5.6gb, which was relatively small for 2007 and it included everything. Part of this is indeed optimization since devs back then had to make sure to compact everything into physical retail DVD's, especially if it was for a game designed for the console market.
Now granted, drive space, especially for m2's is steadily lowering in price every 2 years and internet speeds for most outside rural areas is around 100-500mbps or higher, but this just sets a really bad precedent of taking as many short cuts as possible thanks to "well, we no longer have ceilings to limit us and they can just uninstall it after they're done" mindset.