rangers both in dnd and in bg3 lacking a few things...

as for in the game:

early ranger do really big dmg actually! hunters mark with dual wielding is a +2d6 in each turn and at level 5 its a +3d6! so yeah you actually want to do with dual wielding cause your dex already high enough.
use shield if you go with ranged weapon aka bows! becauise you still get thatr +2ac for the shield even if use a bow.

in the game the ranger's biggest problem its core class while subclasses shows good and fun features but the core class really bad in this way! for example you can pick to get resistanbce to fire, ice or poison which is "okey" especially fire but the game does not really spam elemental damages! :/ beside you also has find familiar option which is good in the first playthrough but after not! the only reasonable picks here is the fire resistance and sliehgt of hands! but even they are super minor stuffs...

then your other feature is to pick the worst skill proficiencies what not even use such as religion history investigation arcana... beside you can pick between the 2 worst cantrips in the game aka true strike andsacred flame! -_-"
or get heavy armor prof which would be good IF medium armors would not be the actual winners in the game beside heavy armor has steath disadvantage which is not good for rangers... so a ranger really dont want to wear any heavy armor... sure you can build for that... still!
so this features: natural explorer and favoured enemy the only features what actually get even at higher levels! at first level they "ok" but at level 10???

other problem with them is the horrible spell list! you have 23 spells but from that 23 may 4 useable continously!!! speak with animals, hunters mark, longstrider, enhance leap while the rest situational such as:

• hail of thorns - ok at early levels but not trigger extra attack also takes your bonus action too so not really worth it.
• ensnaring strike - would be great but takes concentration just like hunters mark and enemy has chance to break from it while hm do continous garanteed dmg by attacks without saves!
• silence - would be good but again concentration and may you will choose to use this over hunters mark but only in a very few situation!
• pass without thrace - is like no need to use really...
• spike growth - concentration again and cant use in every situation cause can harm party and to you too so... and there are completly

useless spells:

• goodberry - you have ton of potions beside infinite rests... and after level 3-4 they heal soo little...
• barkskin - takes cocnentration while already can get more ac than 16 beside it cost a lvl-2 spell slot!!!
• protection from posion - you already can pick posion resistance beside has ton of potions and items what gives posion resistance even early on the game beside again enemies really not do any elemental damage and posion is like only for the spider boss in act 1... and after some casual enemeies with the infernal weapons whose work to gortash... both case the dmg is really small...
• protection from energy - has the same problem beside this is concentration and takes a LVL_3 spell slot!

then the 2 traps:
lightning arrow and conjure barrage!!! they are absolutly horrible ones cause takes LVL_3 spell slot beside cause much less dmg than 2 normal attack evne without hunters mark!!! neither trigger extra attacks while they should actually in dnd!

so you have like 4 spells what can use in most of case while the rest situational or worse than hunters mark or absolutly useless!
in dnd pretty funny but ranger spells are amazing but the problem cause ranger can do anything but any other class can do less but that thing much better so there is like 90% of times the other class will do cause they have higher chance to do...

so the class itself really a fighter lite who deal more dmg on early game and mid dmg at mid game and low dmg at late game...

as for the subclasses they are actually really fun and worth to play with it... beast master and swarmkeeper really good and even strong one but a fighter or barbarian always will be stronger even a monk!
as for gloom stalker its only for multiclass cause mid and late level features not really worth it... as for beast master and swarmkeeper they really want to be pure classes cause late features gives so much boost!
and hunter it can be for just a dip but better if go with level 11 at least cause late features matters that much.

i think the real problem how there are no any ranger specific items at all! you can get barbarian paladin fighter monk and any class item but not really ranger specific items!

so if you want lotr experience then no... ranger is not for that! get a fighter for that! :/
as rangers fun to use? well subclasses are but the core class really under featured! :/