The tadpole/s feel like a big victim of a rewrite. In EA, you had a tadpole in your brain and that was it, and it was whether you were going to give into its influence. It wasn't a matter of consuming more tadpoles for personal power, it was a facet of the relationship you had with the 'dream visitor.' Did you believe that they wanted what was best for you? It felt like a violation because it was a violation -- you have a parasite in your brain! You spend time chatting with "Who you dream about a night?" Which is also a pretty dark, manipulative phrase. Are they a Mind Flayer? Are they the Absolute? Can you trust them?

Then, you hit the start of Act 3 and everything falls into place. Spoiler guarded to be sure.

Well, it turns out they ARE a Mind Flayer -- just not in the way you think. And then there's vulnerability on their part, just like the vulnerability you had earlier. The tadpole was some kind of conduit linking you and them, hence why they were able to save you.

As it is, it's just... odd. The moment I hit that reveal I was really wanting to see the original implementation of the dreamer and how that story was going to unfold. As it is, it just feels weird.