Well, each game gave me different impressions. PoEI captured me because of its characters; From the start, each one had their own theme or characteristic that made them unique. I loved talking to them and reading their stories (even *gasp* Durance, whose story twist I didn't anticipate). Their quest resolutions were fulfilling and in par with how things had developed through the game. I felt that, by the end, I was playing POEI, not so much for the storyline, but because I had bonded with the characters. Hiravias and Sagani are still my favourite. Tyranny's storyline was more tightly packed, with clear progression and a goal but that left little space for world-building and exploring. It felt like a short story, with all the pros and cons. The characters were interesting (especially Kills-In-Shadow) but they didn't "stick". Besides that, Tyranny truly delivered in its main promise, which I thought was to challenge conventional RPG morality - and the player's morality specifically. I caught myself playing "Limbo" with my standards during each quest. PoEII was extremely immersive. The moment you land on port Maje, you soak in its culture. I had to bring out a piece of paper and write all the new Vailian words added to the repertoire (bazzo! <3). Sure, maybe playing a Vailian Watcher made me partial to it, but I loved it. Deadfire felt that much more lively and real, where Dyrwood seemed bland in comparison. In a funny way, it felt kind of homey. I was impressed by how much detail they put into fleshing out the different factions: the places, the dress and habitation, the way that mannerisms and speech patterns were captured in dialogue. And certain individual quests were thoroughly written - Tikawara was a memorable one for me. I truly agonised over the questline, trying to figure out the best way (ethically and practically) to resolve it. And I still haven't decided who to give the damn diary to! From companions, I felt that Serafen was the most integrated into the game - in fact I wish that every companion had just as much commentary during quests, even the most random ones. Now if only I could a) hug him, to console him (words just don't cut it sometimes) and b) get options to call him out on his bullsh*t, the way Pallegina does! XD TL;DR - The writing was there in both PoE games, but the focus is different in each game. PoEI was more interpersonal - it was all about you and your companions and your quest. PoEII is bigger in scope; The cat is out of the bag, Eothas walks on Eora and you're left to deal with all the social/political implications and faction war that follows in his wake as you chase him. And keeping in mind that there might be a PoEIII - I can say that Deadfire felt more like a cliffhanger, where the Watcher's fate, the companions' storylines and even the main quest are left open-ended and unresolved in anticipation of the finale.
Well, each game gave me different impressions. PoEI captured me because of its characters; From the start, each one had their own theme or characteristic that made them unique. I loved talking to them and reading their stories (even *gasp* Durance, whose story twist I didn't anticipate). Their quest resolutions were fulfilling and in par with how things had developed through the game. I felt that, by the end, I was playing POEI, not so much for the storyline, but because I had bonded with the characters. Hiravias and Sagani are still my favourite. Tyranny's storyline was more tightly packed, with clear progression and a goal but that left little space for world-building and exploring. It felt like a short story, with all the pros and cons. The characters were interesting (especially Kills-In-Shadow) but they didn't "stick". Besides that, Tyranny truly delivered in its main promise, which I thought was to challenge conventional RPG morality - and the player's morality specifically. I caught myself playing "Limbo" with my standards during each quest. PoEII was extremely immersive. The moment you land on port Maje, you soak in its culture. I had to bring out a piece of paper and write all the new Vailian words added to the repertoire (bazzo! <3). Sure, maybe playing a Vailian Watcher made me partial to it, but I loved it. Deadfire felt that much more lively and real, where Dyrwood seemed bland in comparison. In a funny way, it felt kind of homey. I was impressed by how much detail they put into fleshing out the different factions: the places, the dress and habitation, the way that mannerisms and speech patterns were captured in dialogue. And certain individual quests were thoroughly written - Tikawara was a memorable one for me. I truly agonised over the questline, trying to figure out the best way (ethically and practically) to resolve it. And I still haven't decided who to give the damn diary to! From companions, I felt that Serafen was the most integrated into the game - in fact I wish that every companion had just as much commentary during quests, even the most random ones. Now if only I could a) hug him, to console him (words just don't cut it sometimes) and b) get options to call him out on his bullsh*t, the way Pallegina does! XD TL;DR - The writing was there in both PoE games, but the focus is different in each game. PoEI was more interpersonal - it was all about you and your companions and your quest. PoEII is bigger in scope; The cat is out of the bag, Eothas walks on Eora and you're left to deal with all the social/political implications and faction war that follows in his wake as you chase him. And keeping in mind that there might be a PoEIII - I can say that Deadfire felt more like a cliffhanger, where the Watcher's fate, the companions' storylines and even the main quest are left open-ended and unresolved in anticipation of the finale.
