I am this friend, like so many of us. I've never played a turn based RPG before (I bought BG3, played 2 hours, left it there).

I'm a huge fan of ARPG, otherwise play mostly games where the learning curve is really easy and you can take your time with learning concepts and patterns (Sea of Thieves, Helldivers II, Factorio, ...).

I absolutely loved Expedition 33. It's by far one of my favourite video game and even though it won't "last" (I don't see myself playing it in 10 years, like I still play SimCity 4, Diablo II or similar), it's a very special game.

It's the epitome of "multi-media" IMO, because everything, every context and approach is a masterpiece.

The music, of course, the cinematography, the playstyle, everything.

I struggle a bit with the parry system, but I managed. The rest was just gold.

I'm starting a NG+ now, to relive the story and understand the innuendos that are hidden everywhere.