I also think the comparison to PoE2 is apt.
Well… no. PoE2 has cohesion and worldbuilding to it, that BG3 could very much use. poE2 plot could have a bit more of a drive and be better integrated with faction content (which I refuse to accept as “side content” due to how much it feeds into the crit path’s narrative) and ending could have been better, but it is a good story - parts of it are just not effectively told.
Not main plot related but:
Orin is quite a bit of the mess.
First of all presence of shapeshifters - it is a callback to BG1, but outside for that there isn’t really reason for it. I thought they will do more with that (like having to figure out what NPCs got swapped), but outside one quest, they are just an enemy.
They do the most with Orin, but in the end she is not a shapeshifter herself - she has a ring that allows her (and only her to shapeshift) as she is related to Sarevok, who is still somehow alive. Because of that she seems to be a Bhaalspawn, though I am not sure she should be -wasn’t the point made in ToB, as with his death he lost the essence of Bhaal therefore wasn’t able to compete anymore for the throne?
Even so, she has the ability to change into the Slayer, which Volvo says she enherited from Sarevok, but it was Irenicus and The ward who were able to change into slayer, not Sarevok.
So really, Orin is just murderous madwoman trying to please Bhaal with a lot of questionable ties to the original games.
