To be fair to Larian it's hard to tell where the tadpole story will go, given that we only have Act 1 so far. On the other hand, I found it to be a storyline which didn't really invest my attention. The very obvious flaw being the urgency which is implied in seeking a speedy removal of the tadpole but then we can jaunt here, there and everywhere doing side quests. After a while I just stopped caring about the tadpole, it creates a false immediacy.
Also there are clear 'rewards' for making use of the tadpole but so far no benefits for not doing so. Using it also unlocks things in game. So again, you are kind of railroaded into using those powers. That is the antithesis of good story telling in a CRPG.
Regarding companions, Larian made clear that we have the more evil leaning companions in EA so I don't know what the personalities will be like with the more good aligned ones. The EA companions all just come across as totally OTT (apart from Lae'zel I guess). Hard to believe they are Level 1 characters with those backstories. I think this is just Larian's style though.
