I really wonder whether people saying that Baldur's Gate didn't have "special" companions actually played it.
Granted, in Baldur's Gate 1 (not counting Beamdog's take on it), companions weren't special: they were basically blank slate henchmen with very little personality or background, other than how you got to know them and what little personal quest they had.
But Baldur's Gate 2 greatly enriched companions, and all of them, even the "good" / nice ones, had at least *something* about them that made them somewhat 'complex', and therefore interesting:
Keldorn had trouble with the family he neglected.
Nalia was a rich privileged noblewoman unable to really understand those she was claiming to help.
Anomen with his inferior complex was an insufferable prick almost the entire time.
Imoen had been traumatized by what Irenicus had done to her.
Aerie had been traumatized via her broken wings.
Valygar had an ugly family curse to deal with.
Maybe re-evaluate. BG2 was already a *lot* more complex in writing than BG1 ever was, and it made the whole experience much more rewarding. I don't find any of the current BG3 companions 'special snowflakes' based on their plot alone:
- Lae'Zel: Just a Githyanki killing Mindflayers. Maybe a little more dedicated to the job than her kin.
- Wyl: Your average Warlock. Seriously, read the PHB if you're not convinced that warlocks can enter their pact for all sorts of reasons, especially the wrong ones.
- Shadowheart: Shar Cleric, being secretive and on a secret mission. Colour me unsurprised.
- Gale: A wizard who bit off much more than he can chew. Wow! I've never heard THAT one before!!!
- Astarion's basically the only one where I would say things become slightly 'unheard of' - mixing Vampire spawn condition with what a tadpole can do to you: new ground, at least for me.
What actually makes BG3's companions 'special' is their personalities and the way they are written and performed. And I love every single one of them. It's a whole new level in the BG series obviously, but also easily on par and above compared to what Bioware had to offer back when they were making RPGs.
