Companion impressions! (minor spoilers)
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Member Posts: 296
Welp, just finished my SoD playthrough, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I have some gripes about the final battle, but that's a topic for another thread.
One of my favorite parts of the BG series - or of any party-based game - is experimenting with different party members, to see how their personalities mesh (or clash) in response to the events of the game. I was pretty excited that SoD would feature a mix of old and new NPCs, so that I could have yet another game to play through multiple times, in order to experience all the different party dynamics.
My party was...
Corwin: Stoic and no-nonsense, and I enjoyed this character more than I thought I would. She butted heads with a handful of other party members but was a welcome advisor throughout the rest of the game. I played a good-aligned PC, and I suspect she'd be a lot less supportive if I hadn't.
She also had a romance, which was relatively well-paced given how short the game itself was. Turned her down in the end, so I didn't see it run to its conclusion, but I enjoyed what I saw.
Glint: I had low expectations for yet another goofy gnome, but he was a bit more understated than Tiax or Jan, which was a refreshing change of pace. I'll admit, I laughed out loud a few times at some of his lines. He was pretty chatty throughout and had a couple of funny conversations with Corwin.
If there's one complaint, it's his romance:
M'khiin: Pretty quiet, but had an interesting couple of side quests and overall enjoyed her ability to speak with spirits in certain situations. Butted heads with Corwin and Dynaheir, but only a little.
Minsc: Minsc was Minsc! The voice was the same, the writing was the same, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I tend not to like over-the-top wackiness all that much, but there's just too much nostalgia here not to enjoy Minsc. It didn't feel like a mod, or a third-party-created character - it felt like the same Minsc we'd enjoyed previously. Sadly, no one other than Dynaheir ever spoke with him, which was surprising... he talks to a hamster, for God's sake. I'd think everyone would have something to say about that at some point.
Dynaheir: I really enjoyed being able to revisit characters like Dynaheir and Khalid who only existed in BG1, given that BG1 was pretty shallow all around in terms of NPC development. Dynaheir wasn't exactly an extremely deep character, but I appreciated being able to hear her speak her mind a bit more often (and I got to make fun of her way of speaking, which was a plus).
All in all, I feel like the party was hit-or-miss, but the overall quality is promising if not overwhelmingly positive. It seems like the amount of banter is reduced from BG2 but still vastly superior to BG1, at least with the party I was using.
For others who have completed the game, what were your thoughts on the party you ended up with? Any notable interactions or rivalries? Recommendations?
One of my favorite parts of the BG series - or of any party-based game - is experimenting with different party members, to see how their personalities mesh (or clash) in response to the events of the game. I was pretty excited that SoD would feature a mix of old and new NPCs, so that I could have yet another game to play through multiple times, in order to experience all the different party dynamics.
My party was...
Corwin: Stoic and no-nonsense, and I enjoyed this character more than I thought I would. She butted heads with a handful of other party members but was a welcome advisor throughout the rest of the game. I played a good-aligned PC, and I suspect she'd be a lot less supportive if I hadn't.
She also had a romance, which was relatively well-paced given how short the game itself was. Turned her down in the end, so I didn't see it run to its conclusion, but I enjoyed what I saw.
Glint: I had low expectations for yet another goofy gnome, but he was a bit more understated than Tiax or Jan, which was a refreshing change of pace. I'll admit, I laughed out loud a few times at some of his lines. He was pretty chatty throughout and had a couple of funny conversations with Corwin.
If there's one complaint, it's his romance:
I was nice to him throughout the game, and then suddenly he got all clingy and possessive - not itself a bad thing if that's how you want to write the character, but it came out of left field and I had no option to respond in what I thought would be a reasonable way. My only options to respond to him were either "kiss me, you fool" or "DON'T SMOTHER ME", and I feel like the more reasonable response was "uh, sorry dude, I didn't know you felt that way". I wonder if the romance skipped over a dialog at some point.
M'khiin: Pretty quiet, but had an interesting couple of side quests and overall enjoyed her ability to speak with spirits in certain situations. Butted heads with Corwin and Dynaheir, but only a little.
Minsc: Minsc was Minsc! The voice was the same, the writing was the same, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I tend not to like over-the-top wackiness all that much, but there's just too much nostalgia here not to enjoy Minsc. It didn't feel like a mod, or a third-party-created character - it felt like the same Minsc we'd enjoyed previously. Sadly, no one other than Dynaheir ever spoke with him, which was surprising... he talks to a hamster, for God's sake. I'd think everyone would have something to say about that at some point.
Dynaheir: I really enjoyed being able to revisit characters like Dynaheir and Khalid who only existed in BG1, given that BG1 was pretty shallow all around in terms of NPC development. Dynaheir wasn't exactly an extremely deep character, but I appreciated being able to hear her speak her mind a bit more often (and I got to make fun of her way of speaking, which was a plus).
All in all, I feel like the party was hit-or-miss, but the overall quality is promising if not overwhelmingly positive. It seems like the amount of banter is reduced from BG2 but still vastly superior to BG1, at least with the party I was using.
For others who have completed the game, what were your thoughts on the party you ended up with? Any notable interactions or rivalries? Recommendations?
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Comments
Glint is... Well, Glint is well-written, but he's just another gnome. There isn't much to distinguish him from Jan Jansen, arguably the best known and most beloved gnome in the series. I'm not a fan of gnomes in the first place (not quite halfling, not quite dwarf, but boy can they...?) so I come with a bias. He's fun, and I chortled often, but he didn't bring anything new. Favorite line: 'It's the amaaaaazing vanishing gnooome.'
I haven't played with Voghlin at all, but only because I can never find a place in my party for f-ing bards. Seriously.
Corwin is cool. I feel like her voice actor oscillated between stern and deadpan and just plain bored and wooden. She is the necessary 'straight-man' of the group, the one that anchors you in a world of zaniness and prophecies and dragons. She's Commander Vimes, Renee Montoya, Lucius Vorenus, all in one. Long arm of the law. Stable, unflagging. Finally Keldorn doesn't have the monopoly on the straight-laced characters.
And the oldies:
Safana:
There's been much ado made over Safana's 'changes' by people who clearly haven't played the game. Amber has simply fleshed out a character with a handful of lines. In the original, she says something about 'Needing strong men to help her get treasure'. And that's it. She's clearly manipulating the male party members. This has not changed at all. What Amber probably meant is that she went from a shallow, archetypal to femme fatale to the same femme fatale that actually has motivations, personality and character. Safana was great fun, and, surprise surprise, her romance is all about manipulating you into giving her stuff by appealing to your masculinity. Every second line is a sexual allusion. Wow, what an unnecessary change. Those damn SJWs - even now they're in the walls, waiting to turn all your favourite characters into women or gays! Can't you hear them? CAN'T YOU!? *gets taken away to Spellhold* If you liked Isabella in Dragon Age, or Jack Sparrow, you'll like Safana. Nothing has changed.
Jaheria:
Again, much ado about nothing. Jaheria, unfortunately, has no voiced lines, so I can't really tell you much that I remember. She is the same old stern, commanding woman that she always was. I even remember a line where she says something to Dynaheir like 'thank god our men have us to keep them on the right path', or something. Same old Jaheira. I didn't do Khalid's anniversary quest though, so that might reveal more about her.
Dynaheir:
It was awesome to get to know more about her. Obviously she has so few line sin the original, and none in the sequel, so really this is all new. We learn that she speaks with Shakespearean pronouns to keep her tongue limber for difficult incantations. She is relentless in her pursuit of knowledge, and is tied to the Bhaalspawn in that she is sticking around to keep an eye on Alaundo's prophecies unfold. Jennifer Hale obviously does an amazing job. Her relationship with Minsc is expanded. She seems to... well, just tolerate him. She respects him as a loyal bodyguard, but sort of waves away his comments and reliance on Boo as though her were an annoying child, which I think is fitting.
Minsc:
Minsc is 100% pure Minsc. He is just great. 'Nuff said.
I haven't spent much time with Edwin or Viconia yet, but what I have seen of their characterizations are on point. Viconia is still secretive, independent and terrifying, and Edwin still mumbles under his breath, manipulates and condescends. He is a lot more humble than I remember him though, though that may just be his circumstances. There is a hilarious aside where Corwin actually calls him out on his mumbling to himself, and breaks the unspoken bond: 'You know we can hear you, right?'
Khalid:
Khalid is just great. He really comes into his own in this game, commanding a fortress full of beleaguered defenders. What I really love is that they never downplayed his timidity - he is as nervous as ever, but he manages to be a f-ing badass hero while he does it. I can't stress how special this is - how many RPG franchises PLAY with archetypes like this? For every fighter that is either a jovial bruiser, or a powerful brute, there is only ONE Khalid.
Overall it's simply an absolute joy to see the oldies return (I had given up on ever seeing ANYTHING like this in gaming every again) and enjoyable to spend time with the newbies!
Edit: And that's not because of SJW or any of that political nonsense. Purely my opinion of how her character is written.
My experience with Corwin has been awesome though. She comments on so many parts of the expansion.
Really liked Voghiln. I actually liked having a bard in the party who can take a hit, and think if I had him in my party for longer he could have had some great banter with the other NPCs.
Loved M'Khiin too. She had some good dialogue - hope she'll get to be in BG2EE and maybe lighten up a bit, poor girl.
Fingers crossed they'll get to BG2EE and get a nice quest each!
I won't be heartbroken if some of the new NPCs don't make it into BG2 - having everybody you know show up in a different country by sheer happenstance is a little immersion-breaking for me - but I definitely want to see M'khiin show up again.
I will say that I did appreciate the treatment of original BG characters. Khalid, in particular, was done quite nicely.