Maybe not fair to compare BG3 to BG2 since BG2 starts in the middle of the story. Maybe BG1 would be more appropriate.
And what do we have in Act 1 of BG1? Investigating an iron shortage. Kobold in a mine. Bandits. Some monsters. Some mysterious dreams. Fairly basic stuff and similar to what we have in BG3 Act 1.
Part of what made BG series great was building from that basic DnD starting adventure module in BG1 Act 1 to the super epic stuff in BG2/ToB.
Let's give it time. Right now we only have Act 1 to judge.
Yet in this basic first act stuff we have a rich world history and atmosphere. Candlekeep (Candlekeep was a towered library-fortress that stood on a crag overlooking the Sea of Swords. ... Aside from the edicts dictated by the stronghold's Keepers throughout the years, Candlekeep had but one absolute rule: "Those who destroy knowledge, with ink, fire, or sword, are themselves destroyed...) , Beregost inn, the wild to get lost into, day/night cycles with weather added so much atmosphere...
