So, it's probably nothing new, but I just wanted to compile my feedback on the game as is, coming from a guy who's played next-to-no Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 but completed Divinity 1 and 2 multiple times and extensive experience with all editions of D&D since 2nd edition.
Gameplay
Pros:
- Lots of options for builds even at low levels
- Lots of interaction, both with surfaces, terrain, heights/falling etc.
- Each combat round is quite fast-paced despite turn-based approach
Cons:
- Too few options for your actions on a given round. Most rounds boil down to smacking X enemy with sword, firing bow at X enemy or using your favourite cantrip at X enemy. This round, next round and every round. Take a hint from your previous Divinity games and find a way to introduce more action options, so the situation changes your action/ability priority rather than the somewhat spammy thing we have now
- The aforementioned (good) interactions need more explanation, in that some cantrips create surfaces, acid makes AC go down etc. A new player will likely be overwhelmed
- With how damage values and health pools scale (this is a D&D issue as well, pretty much every edition), combats end up stretched out due to enemies being bullet-sponges. This is further compounded by the fact that AoE is MUCH less readily available than in, say, Divinity. Please consider adding more variety and AoE in terms of attack options
- Please show the specific dice rolls in all applicable situations. Looking at dice is a main feature of D&D, and it really should be here too.
Story
Pros:
- After the introduction, you feel like a scrub doing small-village type quests, fighting goblins #1-1000... this is GREAT! Really feels like low-level D&D
- Decent introduction to Faerun and the setting in general, but maybe some more overt exposition would be good? Mainly for people like me who haven't played the previous Baldur's Gate games
Cons:
- Okay... the whole Illithid thing is cool, I get what you're going for, but having the game start off with being an Illithid prisoner, fighting intellect devourers on an Illithid battle ship being attacked by red dragons just feel... decidedly NOT low-level D&D, which is a damn shame.
- Main character (if custom) is just about the most bland character ever in the history of D&D... which is impressive in its own right. Having just about no backstory outside your background (which is almost exclusively a mechanical system) means you feel veeeeeeeery disconnected to the main character. Yes, I might be spoiled with great characters in recent games like Commander Shepard and Geralt but seriously... don't make the main character the porridge equivalent of characters... nobody likes porridge without toppings, not really
Misc:
Pros:
- Cinematic cutscene dialogue with just about every character... well frickin' done, Larian. This is the one thing Divinity lacked in my opinion, and here it is. In great form, and it looks like a Bioware dialogue system. 11/10.
Cons:
- Why... oh god, why... why is the main character the only character that isn't voiced!? You put so much damn time and effort into these characters, the dialogue system, the individual lines, the cinematics they play out in, the facial expressions, it's all great... and then the whole thing is ruined by a mute main character? I would much, much, MUCH rather have a slim selection of voices but a voiced character than a library of voices but a mute character. Most of the dialogues lose so much impact due to the main character having little to no reaction to... well, anything, really
Overall, I like the game as-is, but the two things that really stand out to me are
1) Trying to adhere to the D&D 5e ruleset as vigorously as you can makes the game less than it could be. 5e is great, sure, but it ain't perfect, and, and this is just my 2 cents, it could be improved by adapting more Divinity into the gamesystem and adhering to Faerun in terms of setting and spirit more than mechanics
2) The existence of the blandest main character in recent memory (mine, anyway) really is a stark contrast to the colourful and interesting setting he or she runs around in as well as the characters that they interact with. It feel like running around controlling a stat-sheet rather than a character
Just my 2 cents, ofc, but there ya go.
First round's on me if we ever meet in the Blushing Mermaid,
Chris
