Major spoilers obviously
Act 1 is tremendous. Act 2 is more narrow but just as good in my opinion.
But Act 3 I just lose all drive.
The story just becomes more fragmented and wonky and the plot holes really start.
Ally with Orin. Ally with Gortash.
But careful one option cuts out major stories so really you need to ally with gortash... How do I know this? Because I finished the game already and I know the consequences of the first time I had to resort to reloading things because things weren't explained to me clearly. I am warned somebody is an imposter in my camp but no way to find them, I just have to ignore it until I do the trigger with long rests or the sewers. Which again I know with meta knowledge.
The ending is the false dichotomy between Orpheus and Emperor while I get no chance to make them work together or bring the other Mindflayer i painstakingly saved in Act 3.
Romances just stop.
Banters just stop.
And Minthara who seems always buggy or half finished doesn't have enough for me to really explore, especially since her "romance" is limited to Act 3 which is just bare bones not just for her but everyone.
Act 1 is great with all the flirting and intrigue, Act 2 hints at great things and then Act 3 just rushes it and we wait until the squid question... which feels totally hollow.
And its hollow not because the writing puts me in an impossible decision but because the pieces I have moved together refuse to work together. Its like those cheap dramas where the entire conflict arises because two characters don't have a simple conversation. Its just frustrating.
Act 1 and 2 feels like a story, you got a mystery, coming together of heroes, a lead up to the epic events and a boss fight worthy of a final boss. And then we stumble into Act 3 where the bosses (Orin and Gortash) are pale comparisons to the first boss, Emperor tells us if he stops supporting us we would instantly die but in third act he does abandon us (if you refuse him) and we don't die. It just makes no sense. so the sacrifice makes no sense.
Act 3 I think just needs a little overhaul, move somethings around so it would make more sense, so its more comprehensible and clarified.
I don't care if it needs to be a DLC. Honestly, its just the whole thing feels bad and wrong when compared to what came before...
TDLR It feels as though I am fighting against the game with meta knowledge rather than playing the curated path (with many branches) up to End of act 2.
From Act 1 to end of Act 2 everything felt natural, we went from one thing to another naturally. Having foresight was not necessary to not miss things or feel mislead to feeling false urgency, it felt like having read the book of a movie, I know whats coming but it doesn't ruin my enjoyment of it.
Act 3 feels like its somehow broken and only with my spoiler knowledge that I can correctly navigate. Otherwise I lose things or I am lost. It doesn't help that in Act 3 where there is supposed to be tons and tons of character development and conversation that there are less. Or it feels like its less.
I think Act 3 is great but the rush framing and the ending with the Squid question plot holes just brings everything else down. But there are solutions that don't require a complete rewrite either!I have potential solutions that wouldn't require a complete Act 3 rewrite, just little tweeks and edits here or there.
Below I will put what suggestion and major annoyance I have:
Here is how I would fix it.
Emperor vs Orpheus Act 2 Finale
When you get to Act 3 flesh out further why we die if we don't help the emperor or give us a way to work with Orpheus starting act 3.
Yes in some portions Emperor is necessary but perhaps we can have Orpheus fulfill that roll.
Emperor vs Orpheus Act 3 Finale
Allow us to either convince Emperor in Act 3 to work with Orpheus so we are still under his "protection" then have Orpheus be the one that is free and let him decide to help us or not as well. Make it really really tough rolls too.
So we betray the emperor, and not him! Then we work with Orpheus and maybe this allows us a third choice of going into the city and getting Omeluum and have him be our Squid.
Make this incredibly hard if needed or terrible consequences if we waste time trying to find him... or have him show up in that inn. before the final fight... like why else did we save him for??
This largely resolves the final game ending I take the most issue with and the plot holes.
Next bit is Gortash and Orin and the Brain.
The kidnapping should be framed differently. Orin won't be offering terms to kill Gortash, but challenging to a duel or ritual sacrifice... something that incentivizes the player to confront her directly as soon as possible first.
Because killing Gortash early is just dumb with how much you miss out. So he has to be the absolute last guy, the big bad. The final boss before we confront the Brain.
My idea is at Wryn's crossing you won't be entering the city through the front gate but send to the prisons and forced to navigate the sewers and confront Orin at Bhaal's temple.
After killing Orin thats when Gortash becomes the biggest and it is he that is using the Netheres crystal's to keep the Brain under control until you finally confront him.
I have a dozen ideas about how the details but they don't matter the point is the game should make a clear path for us to follow.
Here is an example of how this could work:
We confront Gortash at the Wrym's crossing. He sets us up against Orin whom kidnaps our romantic interest, Gortash can perhaps take Ketheric's Netherese Crystal in exchange to help us and while he has two crystals maintaining control over the brain (which makes way more sense) we go for Orin.
Like maybe we enter through the sewers rather than the front gate and are motivated to get our loved one back asap. If we are the DU we get even more reveals, we have an extra romance moment with our loved interest when we save them and then we can explore the city.
Gortash will not be at Wrym's cross but the upper city. Maybe a palace area for a big boss confrontation. Since he has both crystals and is in control of the brain (at least we think) it gives us a chance to deal with other people's problems while Gortash has made it clear to us that we can perhaps join him. He can't control all three crystals and needs a partner. Again with DU this has even more added benefit!
When we kill/join Gortash and finally confront the Brain and are presented with the squid question. We convince Emperor to give Orpheus a chance, based on how much Tadpoles we consumed he agrees to work with Emperor or with only us.
If he agree to work with us instead of empreror then he survives and emperor leaves, then we have to convince him that to fight with us and we promise to turn into a mindflayer later... Nothing says we have to transform right then and there.
When we exit we have the option of finding Omeluum (or freeing him again) and have escort him to the brain.
This example eliminates the rushed setting and gives the ending more options that are believable and reflect your previous decisions.
