However, for hardcore fans that replayed the IE games multiple times, that enjoy the depth, replayability and freedom of those games, Pillars is lacking. Severely so. You'll notice it the more you play - the completely wasted Keep, the lack of race-specific interactions, the linear storyline, the lack of C&C, boring itemization, battles playing all very similarly, the lack of crazy character builds, etc...
I agree with most of your points but I think that PoE is far superior to BG and is good or better than BG2.
Sneak peak from the review:
"And paid homage they did, creating the finest BG-clone 4 million dollars can buy, loaded with nostalgia, cute little BG things like the cursor and ‘you must gather the party before venturing forth’, handcrafted 2D background with rare attention to details, and all the bells-n-whistles we’ve come to expect from Obsidian .
Imagine, if you will, a Baldur’s Gate-like game with the state of the art RTwP combat powered up by Josh Sawyer’s version of DnD 4.0 - reimagined for balance-inclined audience, set in a world that wants to be original but is afraid to let go off the familiar, filled with quests with multiple solutions and double-crossing opportunities.
It’s a better Baldur’s Gate with a twist of Icewind Dale, with more depth and role-playing that goes beyond playing dress up. Still, it’s Baldur’s Gate, not Torment, Fallout, or even Mask of the Betrayer. Don’t say we didn’t warn you."