i can see why it is so well-loved, and i did enjoy my time with it, particularly since you cannot die and a speech-based build is encouraged (until it's suddenly not by the end of the game but well!), but i think i am just sick of this brand of writing lmao. the misogyny and just... i'm not sure how to phrase it, but the dramatic writing makes it harder to see the characters as people...? rather than concepts. it's harder to connect with them and thus harder to care. deionarra's plight at the hands of the [redacted]s was terrible, and seeing that memory was hard, but it was hard to actually like... give a shit as a person... i guess it might be appealing to other people but not me. i equally hated the companions avellone wrote for pillars of eternity, particularly the grieving mother, for the same penchant. idk how much of the writing he did here but if this is his style then it makes sense why it doesn't click with me. oh well.

at the same time it Is sort of a silly complaint when the game Is conceptual and all about deconstructing typical DND tropes but i still just felt more like an observer than part of the world, and i find it unfortunate as i like CRPGs with loads of writing for that particular sense of getting lost in a different world and having my own adventure

it is still an interesting story that takes on deep and existential themes that are rarely well-explored in gaming, and it must have been groundbreaking when it first released, but even back then among CRPGs and especially now there are works that resonate with me way better so there's that

also the puzzle you find nordom in is kind of horrible, but i also had fun drawing it out while exploring and it reminded me of the charm of old videogames and only having printed guides or having to figure things out yourself lmao. so that was oddly nice