At the moment, BG3 has BOTH the highest metascore and the highest user score for PC RPGs. The only other game in the history of the website to have achieved this was Baldur’s Gate II. This is likely not to hold, but it is satisfying to see for now. At the same time, the Steam release is 2% away from Overwhelmingly Positive overall.
Other PC RPGs that have come close to the highest metascore and userscore and very to overwhelmingly positive on Steam include (in order of how highly regarded, closest to top to least close):
-Witcher 3
-Planescape Torment
-KOTOR
-Mass Effect 2
-BG1
-DAO
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a GOAT.
Anyway, i do think Wizards has something else cooking. In 2019, they hired BioWare veterans Ohlen (lead designer for most of BioWare’s golden age games), Drew Karpyshyn (Mass Effect writer), and a few other BioWare veterans to start their own autonomous internal game development studio:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype_EntertainmentThey’re working on a new IP, but I wouldn’t be surprised if lessons about cinematics, reactivity, character customisation, tabletop simulation, and companion driven storytelling are being learned once more. The CRPG renaissance could go on for longer than anyone thought.