All the best games didn't have companions that just filled in the spreadsheet of class and alignment, they were representatives of factors and factions in the world. This has been a strength of Bioware style NPCs; because their worlds are typically, pretty well thought out and realized, that their characters can bring you into their worldview all the better.
Even if you don't want to compare BG3 with Mass Effect then maybe compare Baldur's Gate, Planescape and Baldur's Gate II with each other, and then with BG:3. I have a pretty easy ranking, but it seems there plenty of people here that would prefer Icewind Dale.
