I would say it's too early to judge. We've only got most of act 1, there are still areas that are part of act 1 but you can't access them as of yet... which isn't even equivalent to full reign of Athkatla, close but not there. I would say BG3 is closer to DAO, than BG2, but it's got potential.
So far I enjoy it, but it's got some flaws, bugs etc. Like main story is left under a big mysterious question mark, we got some leads and that about it. Combat, as a long term fan of real time with pause is actually quite enjoyable, don't need to spam space bar so often and you can technically play the fights out with one hand only.
The companions are cool, but very polarizing. You either love some of 'em or you hate them (and they hate you). What I personally don't like about the companions are the origin stories, they're all a bit too special and overshadow the custom made player character by a landslide. Atmosphere wise, this game reminds me a lot of NWN2, the hell looks like hell and is amazing, although I would tone down the color palette of the entire game to be a tiny bit darker. Cause yes, the graphics are stunning, BUT it's all so colorful and bright, notable exceptions being the hell, the bog and the Underdark.
