Pretty much one of the defining features of (western) crpgs is their branching narrative and open world.
You don't say. Is that why these last few years "open world" games are becoming a thing? You know DA3 is open world now, the new Witcher is open world, compared to before. It's a trendy thing, isn't it?
You should categorize games properly. Morrowind is open world, Skyrim is open world. Shockingly both of those aren't exactly story driven RPGs, they can't be, because there's nothing to keep you focused on the story. Those are games, that give you freedom to forge your own story.
KOTOR, NWN, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale etc... Those are story driven games where your progress through the story is linear. It's an immersive experience handcrafted by the creators of those games.
D:OS is neither Fallout, nor Baldur's Gate. It falls somewhere between those games. It's non-linear enough to ruin it's story and pace, and not open enough to make you really feel like you're exploring.
By the way if you don't consider Morrowind an ARPG, then you shouldn't consider Mass Effect 1 an ARPG, or Skyrim for that matter.
So what exactly are your claims? Is D:OS really the stellar game, that most reviews present it as? Is my criticism invalid?
