DOS 2: Immersion issues during opening. (Am I just playing an early form of BG3?)

So I'm about 1 hour in, did the opening part on the boat... (opening as prisoner on a ship... no. nothing springs to mind).

Figured out the controls fine. Camera is a bit odd that you can't zoom all the way in but fine.

Storyline (so far)

I meet some of the later NPC members on the ship as prisoners before (thanks for saving us a murder mystery side mission) all hell breaks loose and the boat is about to sink... (........ nope, nothing)

After a very restricted number of battles, I escape the ship on the boat.... which somehow I assume capsizes... and I ... wake up on the beach alone (..... come on)

First character I come across is the red lizard from the ship who acts very high and mighty, in a high RP accent with dreams of grandeur (......... like A---)

Eventually I make it into the city to meet a cursed crusader who must hold some sort of secret and mission (..... like Sh------).

Then a fiercely violent and angry elf who doesn't need anyone's help (..... like L----)

And all of us are facing a similar problem of being forced to carry a collar of some sort (.....) with us needing to stick together to find a solution....

I'm possibly overstating the case but it's a bit jarring.

World

No clue who these people are, why elves are now vampires eating people's flesh. Why we're on this island. What a 'Sourceress' is? (apart from a cringy play on words). Some odd blagadatyblog name for a country. Joy Island...

Some of this is admittedly getting used to yet another 'new' fantasy world.

no idea what is going on and no one really explains it so you have to pay attention.

Interfact/Controls:

Playing on Classic difficulty. I've managed to do fine with the combat encounters.

-It seems that each time you encounter a character you get to choose their character class? Useful. But I'm sort of afraid the characters may not have much ... character. Maybe I just haven't seen enough.

-There is no camp like in BG3 I'm guessing, and instantaneous healing outside of battle with a bedroll.

.....

I dunno. I hope there's more to this game. So far I don't see it (maybe it's too early, unless the positive reception is all on the main story (in a world that doesn't seem that interesting) and not on the characters.