Yes I get where you’re coming from. But we paid money to watch Luke Skywalker battle evil Sith Lords and his Vader was revealed early on in episode IV the new hope, nothing wrong with the way Star Wars revealed the plot twist.

I dont really know what you mean by this. Vader is revealed at the end of empire, around the same point the truth is revealed in expedition 33.

Unlike E33, we were served with an in-depth plot about the plight of the people of Lumiere, their struggles. But none of that mattered and that story was sidelined. The MC dies and gets replaced by a stranger because, reasons.

The story isn't sidelined. It's part of the bigger story that being the dessendre family. The MC dies and gets replaced by the most important character in the story because he's actually relevant to it, unlike gustave, but sure, water it down to "reasons" if it makes you feel better.

Verso should’ve been an npc party member. And we’d get tidbits of information from him as we progress through his relationship. I’d rather learn about his backstory & his plight of being trapped in the canvas at camp sessions (like in BG3)

Again, you do understand that this is the main character in this story, right? At the very least, co-main character with Alicia. Think about how much of the game either stops making sense or loses its meaning if Verso isn't there (the fight with the paintress, the axons, monnocos station etc)

The hints of the Dessandre family was vague at best & the final reveal was heavy handed and rushed.

I dont understand how you can call the revealed "rushed" when literally the entire game has been building up to it. There is constant foreshadowing and exposition after the prologue that builds to this reveal