[2021] Is this game 'noob friendly'?

Originally posted by Markolin: I keep getting drawn towards this game but haven't played the previous version. I've played other kinds of RPG including the Divinity games and Baldurs gate, which I've enjoyed. I read about this game not making things clear or holding your hand - so is it potentially difficult to get into as I'm a casual rather than hardened gamer. Thanks.

My opinion as a player? It's alright. You can pick a class you are familiar with from Baldur's Gate (like I did when I just started playing), and start with normal or casual difficulty setting, level up your character yourself, but let the game auto-level your companion if learning about all of their classes is too much information at the moment. Difficulty settings are quite flexible, you can play with them to make it as comfortable for you as you want. Another thing that the previous game didn't have and this game does is a context tutorial, which explains some mechanics. Also the most difficult battles in the game are completely optional, and can be skipped if you don't enjoy that kind of thing (or you can quickly kill them on story mode).