Good voice acting? Sure. Solid dialogues? Nope. Irenicus writing isn't just cliche, he is simply boring, predictable and extremely lacking any realistic personality. His dialogues are literally a carbon copy of any generic villian dialogue, it's edgy, generic and we are expected to treat his seriously
Originally Posted by ash elemental
JonBon is remembered for that because there is nothing more to his character. His voice acting is great and
Except that there is much more depth. The intricacies are always in the approach.
Not only David Warner’s portrayal of his arrogant dismissive indifference is a piece of art, but so is BG2’s narrative.
In his laboratory you can find references of how he struggles to overcome the dread of the curse and how desperate he is to restore his nature and the “love”/memories he once had. As someone who already lived enough in an eternal penitence you can feel his sadness or ,more appropriately, emptiness from the delicate mistress room dedicated to keep his memory of Ellesime to the twisted clones he created to emulate her. And how much he dedicated his life to restore this primitive feeling. A subtle masterful construction of the character.
Through his journal you can see how they develop the character further in what I consider outstanding writing:
Quote
"My condition grows worse, and what I remember of my 'home' is fleeting. I see images of family whose names I cannot recall, and dream of emotions I no longer feel as vividly. On occasion I sense nature as if she is my mother, as though never removed from her bosom, but such moments are few. I bear the hallmarks of senility with the rage and power of a young elf to lament it.
Bodhi endured the curse much better than I do now, but she was more focused and, more importantly, undead. She is now thoroughly seduced by her vampiric condition, despite its previous failure to counteract the death sentence she was under. She had embraced her mortality, excited by the urgency of it, but now she is confused. Imoen's soul has restored her, but her motives remain transparent, even simplistic. She revels in her carnal nature, even as the elf within despises the creature she has become.
I would pity my 'sister' if I was capable, but emotions come to me only in violent outbursts. Ellesime has taken my ability to truly feel, and I am left with the threadbare heart of a human, or some other short-lived vermin. I will not suffer this much longer."
And David Warner at the end of the game delivers one of the most meaningful lines with extraordinary voice modulation:
Quote
"I, I do not remember your love, Ellesime. I have tried. I have tried to recreate it, to spark it anew in my memory but it is gone. A hollow dead thing. For years I clung to the memory of it, then the memory of the memory, then nothing, the Seldarine took that from me too. I look upon you and feel nothing. I remember nothing but you turning your back on me along with all the others."
That is great writing in my book (along Spellhold sequence and many others) and he is one of the most conflicted villains ever made.
Originally Posted by Alyssa_Fox
You also call Wyll generic and apathetic despite him being one of the most conflicted and complex NPCs in all BG games. You honestly make no sense in your criticism.
Now that I am playing patch 6, it is really noticeable how bad the writing is. Sentences feel disconnected, there is a lack of flow on dialogue. (and that is not because of cinematics). 90% of Astarion lines are infested with humor, Gale's introduction is an embarrassing sequence of dialogues, and yes, Wyll has this bland personality/dialogues that blends in with regular world NPCs, making him one of the most forgettable companions in history. And every single NPC you encounter makes jokes that you still are not growing tentacles or talons. There is very little to save in BG3 and mostly comes from Lae'zel.
