[*]They talk about verisimilitude with the characters. This I actually agree with, to an extent. It is strange that every enemy is hyper-intelligent, and it is strange that during cutscenes NPCs and party members are blankly staring off into the distance twiddling their thumbs. However, the one point I have to disagree with wholeheartedly is the idea that your party hates you, or that they should love you. If you found yourself in their shoes, you would likely be just as distrusting, just as unnerved and upset, and just as hostile to people you've never met before. This is mirrored not only in real-life, but especially in the world of TTRPGs. When a new party member is introduced, and they don't immediately trust or are forthright with you, that creates an opportunity for growth, drama, and character development. This is a feature I greatly appreciate, as having them immediately be your best friend would feel very, very...fake. Also, spoiler alert, the next NPC you meet is super friendly and asks you if he can join you before you have a chance to ask them.[/list]
2: So as you can see per my last point, you're not necessarily entering a party where everybody hates you. Part of the game is building trust with people you do not know, getting to know them better, and perhaps even coming to love them on day. This type of character development could not be possible if you started the game off as childhood best friends. It's also not, in my opinion, very fun or interesting if there is no drama between the characters. Perhaps that's just a personal preference, but I bet your favorite books, movies, tv shows, and video games would agree with me.
3: [q]"Seriously. The story has to be good, everything ELSE (like the game) is built on top. If the players are made to feel uncared for, by a product they have purchased, I think it is reasonable to expect they want their time and money back, as per that article."[/q] I understand your preference may be for a feel-good story of warmth and compassion, but I have to admit that those types of stories are quite antithetical to the core of the D&D gameplay loop. It sounds like this game isn't for you, and that's totally fine. These concerns, however, fail to hold a light to the long legacy of play at the heart of D&D, and the willingness to tell a difficult, gut-wrenching, hero's journey.
This game is almost exactly what I expected. I played the old BGs. I played the Divinity games. I've played/run crunchy rules-heavy TTRPG, and rules-light murderous TTRPGs like Troika or Mork Borg. I think that the person reviewing BG3 was expecting something that Larian had no intention of delivering, and in fact what they did deliver was pretty damn close to exactly what they've been promising. If you want to try the game for yourself, I recommend it without a doubt. It's got some issues with enemy AI and some other minor things regarding NPC behavior but otherwise the system it is built on is a solid one. The story so far is strong, and leaves A LOT of room for interesting development. Don't take this singular review too seriously. If you really want to know, play the game for yourself and see if you can create an entirely unique & different experience for yourself, just like I did.
Thank you for replying in such a way. I agree with this and hope more people read what you have said
