It is similar, though a bit more directional in it's guidance. Something I've learned about this game (could be related to the genre)...save allot and frequently. Name saves in ways that make sense to you. "pre dragon fight", or "just about to talk to golem".
This is a true RPG tactical game, very different from action or even semi-action games. This game rewards thinking and re-trying things multiple times, and not just the combat. The more you save and re-do things, the easier it gets.
So it may be worth it to do that and try it out yourself if your willing to put the time into the saves and re-tries. To be honest, half the time I save and try things multiple ways, and half the time I just google so I can move along, depends allot on my mood at the time.
Here's a few things to keep in mind to assist:
1) you can usually exit out of many conversations immediately w/o progressing them and come back later.
2) Other characters NOT in the immediate conversation can move freely. This can help you position your team while the Main convo is going on.
3) use quicksave for the conversations and discoveries (chests, dig spots, etc), and make named saves for the big ones you may want to go back to later on. Also realize that quest areas often have multiple parts (like the labrynth in Act 1), and you may want multiple saves for that area, in addition to using quicksave for the simple stuff. That way you can go back to a specific point in the labyrinth if you don't like the outcome of what you did a few steps earlier.
Hope that helps. I actually put this game aside when i first tried it out (I tinkered in beta), i ran into a similar frustration. But when I realized the nature of the save thing, the game suddenly opened up for me. I actually keep separate folders for my different games to make keeping track easier.