The major problem I have with PoE plot is that nothing is personal, there is the question of the hollowborn and you being a watcher and all but you don't feel that affecting your character on a meaningful way. The game tells you alot of things but some of the most awesome things it tells in form of lore dumps but don't show. Some awesome monsters like the witchs, children with the souls of animals, the first time you are introduced to them is when you start killing trash mobs of them on the way to Caed Nua.
It is infuriating you having to do all that bullshit on Guilded Vale of getting the supplies to the smith, fetch a potion, save a cook from bandits, all generic RPG 101 quests hardly interesting when Éder just tells you the story of a witch that ate her brother and her father suffering... hmmm... you know... how about making quests about this sort of awesome stuff Obsidian instead of random fantasy quest generator that made most of the sidequests of the game? The story about the Godhammer and the ramifications on faith was awesome too, it was a pity that outside of Éder, you barely have any connection with that stuff.
About Durance and Grieving Mother, I was reading the other companion side stories and was hardly impressed by them, the other companions lack any personality but boy... when I read Durance and Grieving Mother it was like the quality of the writing jumped from mediocre/bland to awesome all of sudden. Yes, they are too verbose and the writing is a bit exagerated at the times but man I laughed when you are clever with Durance and tell him that his godness was a whore and the proof was that she used him and thrown him away and he still craved for her attention, the butthurt made me smile. Grieving Mother was interesting too with her theme: Is everything permitted if it brings a little hope and happyness, even lies and manipulation?
sure, 10 micro issues remaining.
