Disclaimer - Wizards were always my favourite DnD class until now.
In most previous versions and games of DnD, metamagics were normal feats that any class could take.
Wizards also used to get a free caster feat at level 1 and every 5th level after.
Sorcerers were typically feat and spell starved, but cast a lot more spells and simply had more spell slots per day.
Now in BG3 only sorcerers get quicken and heighten. Across every DnD game with metamagics, no one ever dares to even try to play a Wizard without at least Quicken and Heighten, as those two being mandatory to actually make your spells effective.
Enter BG3, the first DnD game where Wizards don't even have quicken and heighten. Only one spell per round, and with way lower DCs than a Sorc can do, which is just lul because typically Sorcs are blasters and Wizards were historically superior as high DC casters.
Easy fix, bring back getting a metamagic every 5th level for Wizards (so quicken and heighten can be taken at level 5 and 10, or any other inferior metamagic) and let them be powered from those arcane charges of theirs, for balance sake thats only 2 metamagic feats and have their arcane charges limited to +1 every 2 levels which I think they already are, so they only get to quicken two spells at level 12 ... well I mean I still wouldn't play a wizard, cos even thats still lame.
And none of that is even factoring in that other than for class attack DC, Int is the most useless stat in the game, but don't even get me started on that one.
You havent played fifth edition have you?
+ 1000
It's a 100% this. All your complaints are aimed at 5E not at BG3, which, as far as Metamagic and Spells go, follows the 5E. As another poster already pointed out, a bigger issue is the weakness of concentration spells and the ease with which enemies break it.
I can tell you first-hand that a high level wizard in BG3 can be staggeringly destructive. If you combine the fact that Wizards are at a disadvantage with how concentration spells were implemented and some Larianisms in the interpretation of Figher/Barb abilities (weird jumps, shoves, very powerful melee weapons and armors) it's easy to understand why melee combatants feel alot more powerful.
