The brief flashes of creativity, ambition, and intelligence the game occasionally exhibits only serve to set its general failure in high relief. A handful of maps look good. The Bloom with its Maws is a genuinely cool idea, and some of that did make it all the way to the game. Some Crises can be resolved several ways: by talking, by interacting with the environment, sometimes in non-obvious ways. Some objectives have multiple ways to reach them, and many quests have multiple possible resolutions. Sometimes failing to solve a puzzle the “right” way gives surprising results. There is some consequence between quests; solving one problem one way might make it easier, or harder, to solve another problem later down the line. There are two somewhat-relatable companion characters in the game: one a Minsc with an Avellonian twist, another… a Lost Child who Shapes Gods. There are a few Meres – choose-your-own-adventure text interludes inside a character’s memories – which rise above the general amateur-hour level, notably one at the end of a long-running sidequest. These islands of quality are a credit to their creators because that standard was clearly not a requirement from the people in charge of the project. They are a sad reminder of what could have – should have – been.