So, a question about BG3. I am still very hesitant to ever buy or play it, because of many things I'm reading that repulse me about the story. I've gone ahead and spoiled myself on the main plot. Apparently, I can't even play Act 3 unless I choose between one of two totally-unacceptable-to-lawful-good me choices. They all involve sacrificing somebody. Out of the choices I spoiled myself with, the only one of them any character representing me would choose, male or female, would be to sacrifice myself. Yet, that ends the game at the end of Act Two. I find that pretty bad game-writing, if it's true. Does Larian just insist that everyone who plays their games be "Gray" or downright "Evil" if they want to play the whole game?
You see, this is the problem with people sharing "truths" online that are not true. There is so much chatter about BG3 that some of its "haters" sometimes go overboard and just plain outright don't tell you exactly everything--might be, because they actually don't know, and just overheard something themselves, or might be intended to paint a bad picture. Maybe you read/watched something from one of them.
Regarding the spoiler episode, no, you don't need to sacrifice--you CAN SAVE everybody if you play it correctly. Someone will tell you that you are actually sacrificing someone, but would you trust them? What if they're wrong? And turns out, they are, you'll be able to save that person. TBH, at that point in the game, you as the player should not trust blindly what that someone says.
@Cahir saved everybody, I intend to do that myself as well. Just don't be lazy in the game, go for good options, and you'll manage. That is for Act 3. As for Act 2, I finished it, and don't remember ever needing to sacrifice myself. There might have been a scene, but it was just one of 3 options, and another option that I picked was normal. It wasn't evil, it was a good option that is further built upon in Act 3.
As for Astarion, boy oh boy. I was so against this concept of a character before I actually played the game. I thought he would be the lesser variant of Zevran. I was so wrong. The fact is he's not a vampire. He's a vampire spawn. And he has a tragic and absolutely heartwarming story where you can help him. The story is very LGBTQA+ btw if you play a male character and look at that situation from that angle as well (both Astarion's past, and your own relationship with him). He's a phenomenally written character, one of the best in gaming. Give him a chance. Don't come with this prejudice "vampire=bad". There is much more to Astarion than meets the eye. You'll have to talk to him, to travel with him, to find out his past, and see how he reacts to you. When you actually find out his past, you will understand that his initial mask of being "edgy" with someone he just met (your character) was 100% justified.
To sell you the game, I can just say that BG3 offers an absolutely unprecedented level of reactivity to your decisions. Original BG games, DA:O, anything, really, did never react to you, YOU, the way BG3 does. It will be YOUR story, you will be able to establish and follow your own personality and make all decisions regarding everything. This comes on top of D&D, locations, names, etc - in the core, it's a game about you. And all characters react to you, you can influence and change their personalities.
Yes, you'll be able to have a M&M romance and feel as if he's your best buddy, your romance partner, your life partner. Your relationship will grow and evolve.
And about the "deconstruction of heroic archetypes". There are actually very heroic archetypes in the game and even in your party. The camp will have not only party members but eventually other people who travel with you. Some of them are the most heroic types ever.
