I was anticipating PoE 2 more than I was Christmas. In PoE 1, there were memorable quests, relatable companions, impactful choices, amazing setting. It was the legendary 00´s RPG revived. I was expecting the same or more from PoE 2. It´s even the first game I´ve pre-purchased. The gameplay is still amazing, the combat is enjoyable. That is until you get so powerful (around 20hrs in), even the hardest difficulty is not a challenge. The leveling is a little boring, since many of the skills are useless and you don´t feel the pressure of choosing wisely and perfecting your build. But even though, it´s fun. They didn´t break what was working. But the biggest problem is the story and the writing. As people have mentioned before, PoE 2 lacks an intriguing main story line. You´re chasing a god, the dramatic inevitability - the reason why you can´t just quit - is meant to be that he stole a part of your soul. But it doesn´t feel urgent at all, and somehow you don´t feel sympathy for the world, for the factions present or nearly any of the residents. (There are exceptions, such as The Gullet.) The main quest lacks urgency and you don´t feel obliged to act. The companions are not written poorly per se, but even the way you meet them feels forced. Mostly it´s just "This is XY, he´s going with you." There is some backstory to them, but their personal quests are mostly shallow. There are some exceptions, but even when there is an interesting twist (think of Éder) they have no consequences and you feel nothing. Don´t get me wrong, it´s still fun to play. But a seasoned player, who expects a deeper role-playing experience is going to be let down.
