I’m less critical of the story now than I was originally because some of it is decent even if there are a lot of well documented issues.

One thing that does continue to bug me is the “there must be an illithid at the end”

What is the reasoning here? Why couldn’t you have the option to free Orpheus and have him stay as. Gith? Why couldn’t the player opt for the Gale nuclear option without using either prism inhabitant?

Was this deliberate as far as story goes or does it have something to do with rushing the release of the game?