I LOVE good rpgs. And I particularly appreciated old bioware/obsidian games. Therefore, as soon as I saw how many people compared this game to the old golden age of roleplay games, I decided to give it a try.
My first impressions were very good : nice graphics, a great introduction to the story, character personalization, and everything else you expect to find in a good RPG.
So, why is this not a 5/5 ?
Why can't I fast travel whenever I want ? (would be okay if this game wasn't mostly running around)
Why do every quest imply more running around than actual questing ?
Why are the natives a bunch of earth-loving hippies attacked by the evul european-like people (who happen to have an inclusive multi-ethnic society, for some reason) AGAIN ? I mean, it was already over-done when Avatar came out. Most factions are unsufferable clichés anyway.
Why, why why why ?
Why is this not a 0 then ?
Well, as I said, good graphics. good quests with multiple ways to solve the problem. Original setting (XVIIth century fantasy ? Love it !), likable characters, and many other qualities.