- Can be played without knowing anything about the previous games - Solid gameplay + story, companions + characters are interesting and combat is fluid and well handled - worldbuilding is top notch, and exposition is gradual with very few tedious infodumps - crafting system is unnecessary and can feel like a chore, at best. Quests requiring its use feel shoehorned in, and the game can be played without using it outside of those moments. - the ending (without spoilers) is a deus-ex-machina "choose what you want to happen" kind of deal. You will receive the same set of "pick a button" options regardless of how you played.