I agree Tuco... except about Minsc. I love his character. That said, I'm also not overly pumped about him being in the game, though I expect it. Minsc is in Neverwinter Online, and I wasn't impressed with that. He's another character who, for me, was quite memorable. I thought he was the most fun character in the BG series.
That said, sometimes I wish people would leave beloved characters where they were beloved and not bring them back again and again until I'm sick of them. To me, Minsc shouldn't be alive in 1492. He should have died back in his own time after living an awesome, adventurous life as a valiant hero.
You obviously have not read the Legends of Baldur's Gate comic book series. They explain how Minsc is still alive in the 5th edition time frame of the Forgotten Realms.
The EA already has a note offering a reward for the return of a heroic ranger statue, stolen from Baldur's Gate, so it is likely Minsc is intended to return. Given the lack of "good" companions in EA, introducing someone shouting "butt-kicking for goodness" every few seconds does seem like a solution.
Volo is OK in BG3, but he was never that important in the previous games; he had a greater role in SoZ than BG1/2. But Minsc could fall very flat if not written or voiced well.
Drizz't and Elminster are more like Volo, in that they were of no real importance in BG1/2, so I doubt that most people will care if they appear or not. On the other hand, Drizz't and the Drow have had Lore updates from WotC this year, so perhaps BG3 will tap into that.
