One of the underrated bits of cleverness in Baldur's Gate 3 is that they thread the needle of doing a sequel to a game that 1. came out 20 years ago 2. had a very definitive ending that didn't at all leave room for a sequel.
Which is to say, the game looks initially like a spiritual successor which shares a setting and general vibes but not plot or characters, but then elements of continuity just start slowly creeping in. Because these elements only start to appear from act 2 onwards, the new characters have room to breathe and don't feel trampled by the continuity, but when you get to the end you feel like you played a legitimate direct sequel to Throne of Bhaal. This must have taken a million meetings to figure out.