It really is a giant waste that Melina isn't used for ANYTHING in the DLC. It would've at least been nice to hear her speak of Messmer or the Final Boss.

There's a lot of lack of references to the base game in particular places where they easily could have in general

I feel it's a pretty deliberate decision, but nonetheless I agree some Melina dialogue could have gone a long ways

InkwellObsidia said:

It really is a giant waste that Melina isn't used for ANYTHING in the DLC. It would've at least been nice to hear her speak of Messmer or the Final Boss.

Not just that - there are NO NPC/boss interactions between DLC and base game whatsoever. It feels like a separate, standalone game. Think of the wasted narrative potential - Melina doesn't appear in DLC, doesn't comment on anything even though she should have, neither Malenia nor the gay twink groomer brother of hers react to each others' gear when you fight them, and those are the obvious ones. For a game that tries to sell itself on its "unique" narrative, I'm thoroughly disappointed in the story part of the DLC.