On a related note, I started Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and honestly? I'm already liking that more than BG3. I've only just arrived at Nishkel, and I'm still getting to grips with stuff, but it has a real charm that's hooked me in. I'm not a fan of the 2e system at all, I definitely prefer 5e now I've seen enough to compare them. Also it cements my preference for turn-based over rtwp. There's quite a lot of chaos going on that's harder to keep up with than I'd like, and the fact companions die in battle and I have to go ressurect them at a temple is kind of a nuissance and honestly bothers me from a story standpoint. But yeah, I've gotten started and I'm excited to keep going.
Charm, I think, is a very good way of putting it.
Combat is chaotic, but I think it helps to hide how basic and barren 2e combat really is.
Regular deaths are a common criticism of early levels - once you get higher HP it gets better. Early on one unlucky hit can put you into the ground. In BG2 come insta death spells though, so that's another "fun" thing to watch out for. But overall, yeah, from what I played of 5e it seems solid to me. I could use a little bit more choice when lvling up, though.
