1. I think it's great and ambitious. It has truly inspired and emotional moments spread throughout the narrative.
2. I've played since early access, from the very early patches of early access, in fact.
3. As I mentioned above, there are moments in the narrative that are powerful. It manages to elicit emotion, as any good story should. And it manages to "roller-coaster" those emotions, which keeps the tension building more as a set of stairs than a constant slope. In other words, there's time to breathe between the heavier scenes. There's humor mixed in along with tragedy. Additionally, the companions reach moments where they come alive. Much of this is due to the writing, but I the strength of the cinematics is undeniable, as well. The game brings with it a sense of mood that can be felt from behind the keyboard. And finally, I suppose I enjoy the challenge of overcoming obstacles and considering the growth of the characters on a tactical level. Sometimes I wonder if games like this have replaced in us the same feelings the Romans got when they watched gladiators fight in the arena. This, of course, being far better since it's entirely safe, and no one is actually harmed in the combats.
--eta, somehow I forgot to mention the voice acting. It's incredibly strong.
4. There are a few things I don't like. When the characters or bits of the story don't make sense. For instance, Karlach. As a character, most folks seem to really like her. And I can see why. She has a pleasant personality. She's upbeat. She's positive. But it doesn't work for me. I keep thinking to myself, this is a character that spent ten years enslaved in hell, forced to fight in a never-ending war. Somehow she came out of that with a rainbow personality? I don't believe it, simply put. It breaks immersion for me. She should be thoroughly scarred, both inside and out. Damaged, broken even. Her recovery should be her character arc. I also don't like the heavy handed insertion of modern day politics and cultural framing. In my opinion, the story should stay true to the setting, whereas I can feel the social agenda of the writers at every step. That creates a weakness in the overall setting that breaks immersion. Finally, I think there are some questionable mechanics within the game. Strength elixirs, as an example. They're so abundant and last so long, they may as well last forever. Which undermines the character's actual build. I would also point to Haste. While it can be a life-saver in the middle of a tough fight that's gone poorly for the player, it also has a way of trivializing many of the combats.
5. I would like to see Act III revisited by the developers. Currently, it feels underbaked. Like there's missing content, or strings from earlier acts that are simply abandoned. The entire narrative of Act III needs to be strengthened, in my opinion. That said, I would love to see additional content in the form of prequals. A DLC based on the town of Reithwin 100 years in the past, wherein the actions of the characters in that prequal get to be seen in the main game. Or a DLC that follows Shadowheart's original team that went to steal the artifact in the first place. That kind of thing. Earlier stories that set the stage for what happens in BG3.
6. I do not use any mods. Personally, I feel like they're a hassle. Also, they seem to cause bugs and problems throughout the game, especially in the early phases when patches are still being released.
7. I haven't played DnD in years. I don't have much interest in sitting down to a tabletop game these days.
