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I agree, the writing seems significantly above average for a CRPG. Characterization is a bit weak for non-companions, and I do agree with the complaint that the world feels too small. But compared to most of the dreck you see nowadays, it's really quite good. (Still, when the "fate of the world" is at stake, I'm level 9, and Elminster dips into my camp to say hi then leaves, it feels a little silly.)
The big defining feature of Larian games is the way they try to simulate everything: you can throw a bottle of water to put out a fire, or throw somebody off a cliff to kill them, or pickpocket your enemies Big Sword before the fight. If anything, it's like Skyrim as a CRPG. There are pluses and minuses to that, and honestly, I would prefer an old-Bioware or Obsidian take on the gameplay, but it's still fun.
The most recent CRPG I'd played was Wrath of the Righteous, which I liked more, if only because it had a really defined identity of its own. That, and Pathfinder/3.5 is strictly superior to 5e.
Larian games don't quite feel like Skyrim to me, which has more of an open sandboxy vibe with less emphasis on story. It feels more like a CRPG version of New Vegas, where the plot is a critical aspect, but the player is given wide latitude on how to engage with it. The game does a good job reacting to specific player actions and the ultimate resolution can go in many different ways depending on the player's decisions.
I can't speak for rafa, but I would have said everything she did, so I'm answering too. New vegas is what I was going to bring up for 'better writing' - imo bg3 pales in comparison. Disco Elysium would also work, and I am confused that you are lumping them both in with mass effect and dragon age, which is the level I would put bg3 on, they are imo pop-rpgs.
The best writing in video games is also the hardest to access - it's like story and every other aspect of a game are negatively correlated. For the best of the best, basically it's if or bust. Nothing with graphics compares to anchorhead or the counterfeit monkey. Add some graphics but streamline the gameplay and you get visual novels - and once again I'd say no crpg can compare to umineko, or steins gate, or even something like raging loop. Basically I think you nailed it re larian's approach to games, they want to simulate everything, and so they put the story on the back burner. In my books bg3 is closer to dishonored or weird west than bg2, which didn't have the best story, but was light years ahead of bg3. PST is the king of that crowd, but even icewind dale had decent writing (when it came up). Then we had mask of the betrayer, which redeemed nwn2's story, and tyranny (which deserves more love). Pillars of eternity was overly convoluted, but it was better written too.
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