Just have to chime in here because I've been lurking for a while and I'm compelled by a devilish pact to talk about POE 1 & 2, likely my best games ever.
The tone, the settings, the writing, the gameplay, itemization, the music... it was everything I hoped for. Yes, the story and characters could have been improved (especially in Deadfire) but by far, it was a solid experience in both (I have over 1500 hours in both games).
I can still remember starting of POE1 and arriving in the first town with the hanging kith on the tree and saying... "finally, this is the baldurs gate game I've been waiting for"...
Which brings us to BG3.
I've only 4 hours in the EA, but so far, its not a spiritual successor to the originals and its iterations since (POE, Pathfinder). Yes, the production is on point, but the feel just isn't. Mechanically, there's a lot of work to be done (which has all been detailed previously) to be closer to 5e d&d.
I really hope Larian listen to the critical feedback, because to me, it CAN achieve its "freedom at all cost" approach to CRPGs while keeping tactics grounded into the 5e framework.
(Full disclosure, I very much did not care for DOS1 and DOS2, couldn't finish either because of the tactical repetiveness, the itemization and ungrounded writing and story.)
