It seemed that in previous installments of the series, it was expected that you would speak to as many NPCs as possible in the hopes of gleaning as much information for your travels as you could.

Now, they have cut scenes and cinemas to cover the aspects of the story you would have learned from speaking with NPCs.

They could have thrown a screen of text at you, but I'm sure most people would rather walk around town and speak with various NPCs. In some ways, it could also be said that the developers wished to have the player more active and immersed in the story and happenings and people of that world. In this way, it could make that world more personal.

I still remember and speak with the dancer in Cornelia - even though I know where to go and what to do.



I think it makes the game richer if one speaks with as people of that world as possible. Slower, but you're going to spend 40 hours playing the game anyways.