#larian is great when it comes to world design and gameplay and stuff

[hxhhasmysoul]

I've played something like up to mid act 3 of Baldur's Gate 3 now, have opinions on origin characters and companions. SOME MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD. But I'm trying to be as vague as possible.

Maybe I will start with the good because there's less of it but it's what keeps me from crying.

Karlah - best girl, no notes. She's got a very fun personality, her back story is very good and her behaviour tracks really well with that back story. Same goes for the things she approves of an disapproves. She's also very attractive and that's a bonus. She's for a good playthrough mostly but I'm not into evil playthroughs so I don't really care. She's a very reliable party member but barbarian isn't the best class solo, I multiclass her for better efficiency.

Lae'zel - very solid character, she's kinda scary and better than though in the beginning but her skills and efficiency really explain some arrogance. The githyanki are a specific society and she's very into their way of life but as I spent more time with her and did her quests I liked her more and more. It's funny how she's proud of her brainwashing. Her behaviour and approval also makes sense. And damn she's got game. She's a little too skinny looking for me but I think it's because that's how githyanki are, she's still hot.

Wyll - he's interesting because he really wants to be a good person but isn't the best at getting there. His back story is really good and he's personality is interesting. I find myself rooting for him to find himself, to actually be the man he wants to be. His behaviour is consistent and what he approves of and doesn't also makes sense. Hottest among the guys, no contest. The problem is that warlocks aren't the strongest class, another candidate for muliclassing to make him stronger.

Halsin - daddy, Larian let us cuddle the bear and it offsets some of the shitty writing Larian is so so guilty of. Alas it shows that he was put in because of fan pressure, there's not that much story tied to him and that lands him slightly below Wyll. His personality is very pleasant and looks wise he's a fan favourite for a reason. Halsin is a druid that makes him very useful and very strong. I wish Larian'd actually planned to make him a companion from the start.

The sadly disappointing.

Astarion - the biggest disappointment since early access. I used to like him a lot, he's got very good dialogue early on. He also has an interesting back story that initially makes his attitude very understandable. But it feels like the writers had no idea what to do with him. The more I spend time with him the more he annoys me. It's really hard to predict what he will approve or disapprove of. A lot of time he just seems contrarian for no reason. He feels disconnected from the main story, it doesn't feel he grows closer to my character, unlike with Lae'zel for instance where I feel the change of gaining her approval. Looks wise he's average, I'm really not into the pale and white haired.

Could go either way.

Minthara - idk anything about her, I have never and am not planning to side with the Absolute. Her looks are average so no temptation there. Her religious fanatic thing also isn't tempting because I already have Shadowheart and she doesn't ask me to slaughter refugees and animals to grace me with her shitty company.

As to the characters returning from the previous games. I'm very against this move by Larian or the DnD overlords, whoever is culpable. One of those companions had such an extensive quest in BG 2 that honestly it's annoying they're here to have more personal quests. Also this character kinda annoys me when it comes to their personality and affiliation. The other character that's coming back is less aggravating to me personally though they are an acquired taste for some. I wouldn't mind them joining my camp and serving as advisors or even romance options, but them taking up companion slots is really a big minus of the game. Either way I have no intention of ever having them in my party, I'm not interested in them. I'm so mad we couldn't get Alfira, or Barcus, or Isobel, or that guy from the githyanki hatchery as a companion. Those and possibly others I'm forgetting, could have been good companions with interesting potential.

Now we're getting to the bad. And honestly it's not simply bad, it's instantly very bad.

Shadowpout - idk what to say, Her personality is grating, she's pouty, she thinks she's mysterious but she's just a poor liar. She's constantly in self denial that borders on stupidity. I don't respect her goal to become a fanatical enforcer. Her moody dialogues that I guess are meant to be ironic or sarcastic are just annoying, I've told her to shut up several times, like out loud, towards the screen. She's also proud of being brainwashed, like Lae'zel, but her arrogance really isn't backed up by any skill. Gods with her built in specs she's useless in a fight, mele, spells single use or concentration based, healing, you name it she can't do it well. Multiclassing or respecking her is a must above the lowest difficulty if you want to have her in the party - and a well speced cleric/druid in the party extremely useful. Honestly it's easier to run a party without a wizard/sorcerer/warlock than without a cleric/druid - that's why I still take her into the camp and revive her when she dies. Her looks are average but her personality is so off putting that she kinda grosses me out.

Gale - the fucking incel. He's a walking nice guy mansplainer stereotype. He's even worse than a normal mansplainer, he's a wizardsplainer. He will wizardsplain magic to a sorcerer character and the people who wrote it think that's flirting, at least that's how I understand that scene. What the actual fuck. That scene gave me the creeps, together with that scene where he explains his back story of: he had a thing with that one gal, it finished, she broke it off, stopped taking his calls, he couldn't take a no and decided that if he makes a grand romantic gesture she will take him back. Oh, and he still has a spell where he projects an illusion of her face to stare at her. But he's also monogamous, will not allow for the player character to branch out. I kid you fucking not. And he manages to be condescending with almost everything he says, fucking his his tone is at least as annoying as Shadowpout's. Gross, I judge anyone who pursues a romance with him. Because he's like this I actually stopped meeting him since mid early access, there's actually a way to never meet him in the game. And it pains me because his affliction feels like such a nice handicap to have in your gameplay. But he's a wizard so he's replaceable.

The Dark Urge - shitty edgy Larian writing at its fucking worse. The little introduction of the Dark Urge is all about resisting. But there's nothing to this character when you resist. There's only stuff for those who will play to embrace the urge and like what's the point of having a character like that in a Role Playing game which supposedly is about player choice!? It's completely pointless and it's doubly insulting to me as someone who grew up with BG1 and BG2 because that character references that story line the most directly. First of all that's stupid because the point of that story was to reach a conclusion but also that story was all about living with a horrifying legacy and making choices on how to handle it and you could play it as good, bad or neutral as you wanted and it didn't shut you out of most of the content related to your character.