1. Don't think you're in the right forums to compare HS graphics to "average".
Maybe not, but I was just answering a comparison
.
2. They may have annoyed you, but they are some of the best character performances in both video games and films. Plot wasn't annoying, it was gloriously flourishing.
I guess the further a game moves from bland the more subjective it can be. (remembering back... yes the performances were good for all the NPCs even the king and birdman were good; just they were annoying.
I personally found the pacing and plot, alongside not feeling "fleshed out enough" just didn't seem to have had enough time put into them. I felt the makings of an AAA game, which made me even more annoyed at what I played in the end.
So saying that, I will be checking out HS2 as a rental to see if they do it right the second time.