Agreed. I'm still playing the game - had to restart when I realized I let Minsc & Boo die - but I really liked this aspect of the game. DM's voice is perfect for this game.
Won't give my full impressions until I finish but so far in chapter 2:
1. it's Shadowheart's world, we're just playing in it. Shar's evil is on full display and I love it.
2. the boy was too creepy for my tastes
being forced to kill mom, dad and the dog wasn't fun and made me feel bad. Reloaded half a dozen times until I realized that there's no way to avoid killing mom and dad - even if you avoid detection.
3. As much as I liked the restoring life to the land theme after a while the bleakness of everything started to get to me. Chapter needs a few more light hearted moments.