To be fair, 90% of the people who complained over BG3 not feeling like a Baldur's Gate game also complained about the lack of muh RTwP combat. Funny how that goes, huh? The early criticism was almost entirely based on rose-colored nostalgia and a strong sense of entitlement. I'm a long time BG-fan but acknowledge that although much of Baldur's Gate was great, it was so relative to the contemporary low-expectations. Gamers at that time were much less jaded and spoiled and were naturally more easily impressed. RTwP was not revolutionary, it was attempting to tap in on the financial success set by Blizzard's "action-RPG" Diablo (and even the RTS Starcraft). Bioware emphasised that gameplay further with NWN, which resulted in a skeleton RPG that failed to live up to expectations set by BG.
Seems to me you're confusing "feeling" with gameplay mechanics. See past the window-dressing and you might spot some striking similarities. The voiced narrator (part of the window dressing admittedly). Broad storyline similarities where the character is changed from within by powerful evil. Complex companions at times at odds with one another (BG3 companions looks much more realistic but has taken what was good about BG to the next level). Exploring while making your way towards Baldur's Gate. The story of BG was grandiose and the characters memorable, it was stand out like Lord of the Rings or Mass Effect...but everything in-between, the gameplay and the presentation was rather meh. Larian excels at gameplay (tactical combat) and presentation. The companions are really great in my opinion, superbly voice-acted believable distinct characters with agency of their own.
Story and characters are secondary to gameplay and mechanics. It's a videogame, not a novel (or even a movie).
That being said, I don't think Larian are the best story tellers.
Who in your mind are the best then? Larian is in my mind leagues ahead of bEAware. What Larian in particular excel at is in my mind fleshing out of their worlds. In most RPGs I can't wait for the stupid NPCs to shut their faces and dialogue feels, for the most part, like an enforced chore that you feel compelled to go through lest you potentially miss out on game content. Bethesda is the worst, but at least usually don't pretend to be more than a sandbox with RPG elements. I'm currently playing the critically acclaimed Dragon Age: Inquisition and the gameplay outside of rather enjoyable combat, makes me happy I can at least skip ahead over most of the conversation. None of that in BG3, less important NPCs are simply but believably fleshed out with top-notch voice acting.
