My main point isn't that Betheda's games should become more restricted, or focus on having a more substantial narrative (though a better written one certainly wouldn't hurt). My point is that if they need to run well, look good, and be fun to play. The freedom isn't enough. They may have more freedom than other games, sure, but there are lots of substantially better games that have a staggering amount of freedom as well.
I'm not knew to Bethesda Games' work. I have been playing their games for a very long time now. I respected the ambition of Morrowind, but I could never get past its aesthetics. I loved Oblivion, and felt like that was the first big leap of that generation (to be fair, it was also the first game I played on a HD TV). I enjoyed Fallout 3 quite a bit, despite the game being a bit of a mess (and despite me greatly preferring Fallout 1 and 2). I thought Skyrim was at least fun for a while, but the level of jank and brokenness certainly was starting to wear on me at this point. For me, Fallout 4 was painful on every level, and it was the heaping bail of straw that broke the camel's back. I should get to voice my criticisms. They aren't unfounded.