people seem way more quick to point out the flaws of any game than having fun playing it

Yeah that’s true. I wish people could criticize things while also appreciating them.

Like, as I said, I have loads of problems with Skyrim. But I also love the game and have literally thousands of hours in it. You can love a game and still have problems with it, but I don’t think people understand that which is why you either get toxic negativity or toxic positivity with any release. Never a healthy middle ground.

As to your point about not seeing the gripes, my theory is that people had them but were much quieter since the games were so beloved. But as Bethesda’s reputation got worse they felt more confident speaking up. So there were always people that took issue with the games, but it wasn’t until recently that their opinions became so public.