Impressive review. Very well said and our experiences of WotR seemed to mirror one another. I have few points of disagreement on the Emperor and Durge but I'll save those comments for other threads.
You captured my feelings about the relationships in the game perfectly. Yes, Daeran was the first time I felt like a toon was pandering me. And somehow I was able to forgive all of his (many) flaws because he was so very entertaining and so useful in the party. And your point about wish fulfillment was spot on. It's a bit embarrassing to admit but the fantasy of becoming the embodiment of freedom, love and nature struck a chord with me whereas becoming an evil, slimy-skinned monster was no where on my wish list. And BG3 did nothing to put it there!
I do hope the BG3 devs do something to eliminate the railroaded "damp squib" moments at the end. I felt like they were going for tragic, heroic sacrifice and just didn't work.
Anyway, I really hope the devs see this. Well done, you.
