Cold Steel pendulum swings

I started playing this series almost entirely on accident via a friend downloading CS onto my PlayStation awhile back when he was visiting. I'm now more than half way through CS2.

What I am struggling with is the massive swing in tone between the truly interesting global / political tribes and whatnot and the comically trope character arch types.

I just fine it almost impossible for the game to sell me there is a massive national civil war going on but yet everyone seems to be giving sophomores in a military academy free range to 'pick a third side' kind of deal.

Do the earlier or later games give more muscle into the geopolitics of the series? Not sure I want to invest in a side that goes more ham.

I want to stress that overall I do enjoy the games but when some characters show up I find it just completely zaps my interest in the cut scene.

Posted from phone so apologies for any grammer and misspellings.