SPOILERS, i suppose.

I actually tried befriending the goblins, but in this game they genuinely make them truly evil and despicable in every way. It honestly sticks out like a sore thumb. Burning down what is basically a church to the god of Hosting (one of the more primeval sins), eating people, bullying, slavery, lying, cheating, etc..

It's honestly kind of weird because even Devils have some nuance in these games and there was some attempt to make goblins just genetically predisposed towards sadism and evil.