But I am fairly certain they are trying to make sure that this game would surpass Skyrim in terms of positive reception.

That's not hard. Skyrim was horrible until modders fixed it. Bethesda's patches kept breaking things, like stretched out models, and dragons flying backwards.

Factor in that a lot of Skyrim players were Console players that did not have access to mods.

I stand by that Bugthesda hasn't had a good game since New Vegas, and they didn't even make that one. The best one before that was Morrowind, and that was fairly mediocre overall. Daggerfall is still their best release to date, IMO, and it's also a buggy mess being fixed by passionate fans. Bugthesda has, beyond all comprehension become a popular and famous studio on the back of incompetent, lazy programming.
EDIT: Unless you count RAGE, Wolfenstein and DOOM, all made by a subsidiary studio. Bethesda Studios are hacks and have been since Arena. Arkane and ID, since being purchased, are pretty good, but I don't like anything from Zenimax any more. After ESO and FO76, I have no interest in them.

So you don't believe all this stems solely from Todd Howard?

He's been there from pretty much the start, but he's not the only one to blame. They have a culture that breeds bad programming there apparently.
EDIT: And even still, Todd Howard is still there. Why should anything improve until he gets the axe?

Lol....it just werx.

An unbelievable thing with Bethesda for me is the fact that they are still regurgitating the same ancient Gamebryo engine. Instead of actually moving forward in any capacity, they will instead make game #241 with the same-ish looking graphics that look like something that should come out in 2010 at best. Most of their games play, look and feel the same and I'm pretty bored of them. After playing F3 and FNV, I have 0 desire to play Skyrim for example because I fully know what to expect.

"It just works". Yeah, until it doesn't.

Some features of this engine remember even Morrowind. Gamebryo and its later incarnation (Creation Engine) is based on Netimmerse which was used in Morrowind. Despite the engine is outdated, Bethesda already announced that it'll still be used in the upcoming generation. I hope they'll tune up it a little to modern standards at least. The advantage of this engine is that it's very susceptible to modding and that's probably the main reason why Bethesda still sticks with it.

Yes, I found an image of one of the execs talking about Gamebyro.

Eh, some people like similar looking styles of graphics.....also beyond a certain point I don't need much better graphics, as gameplay/story matters more to me.

I appreciate anyone taking their time to make their lists, but I personally don't care much for the upcoming games in the OP, as much I do for many little indie titles I have been waiting for since what it feels forever now, like EITR and Wildfire; If I must name successors of famous titles I'd say the Cuphead DLC and the new Descent. i am not saying that I will not want to play Cyberpunk 2077 or a new System Shock, but I can sleep at night until those are released. Also, I enjoy more the surprise that comes with a new concept rather than the updated version of an AAA title. I am tired of Elder Scrolls. Is Diablo 4 something we are really so excited about? If games with important IPs would be released as a new licence would we care as much?

Ooh, just remembered another one.
Divinity: Fallen Heroes

To name a few, and mostly in hope of playing them in a not far distant future: Space Haven, Star Renegades, Baldur's Gate III, Iron Harvest, Vagrus, The New World.
And a bunch of games already available on Windows but not on Linux (hopefully ported) like Disco Elysium or Encased.
And then many games but not in a hurry: Cyberpunk 2077, STALKER 2, Mount & Blade Bannerlord and a few more.


Sad to say it to you, but its development has been put on hold, maybe undefinitively - at least until BG3.