I don't believe that no one predicted the overwhelming success of a long-anticipated sequel to one of the most legendary and deeply-loved games of all time. Maybe I've played BG2 too many times, but for me this was a no-brainer. You could read the steam reviews from early access as well, and the prediction should have been pretty easy. People were already impressed with the early campaign. Personally I'm putting off…
Same here; I won't buy it anytime soon (possibly ever; depends on if there's still a place for games in my life after going without for a year), though the fact that I'm reading and commenting this thread says that gaming is still important to me, if not just out of nostalgia but also that I recognize the importance of games in our collective experience, and I know something about them after three+ decades of playing…
I will say, combat is pretty challenging. I think it has to be, since the save and reload mechanic exists; otherwise the encounters would need to be toned down. However, it's challenging in a way that doesn't feel unfair. It gives me the same feeling as when I played through Hollow Knight - the game is challenging, I mess up a lot, but I never feel like the difficulty is "artificial" (e.g., HP or enemy count has some multiplier applied). The combat is always challenging in ways that require strategy, planning, and skill.... and wishing you'd made different choices in the past :)