There isn't much I can add to this discussion, but there is one thing in a post I want to address:

Originally Posted by Archaven
I can see Larian is taking the heavy story and RPG path rather than focusing it being a dnd5e game first.

I know that this is (hopefully) more of a taste thing, but I want to point out that this sentence makes little sense. A lot of D&D adventures, from OD&D to (A)D&D 5 are heavy on the story. The entire game evolved because people wanted more story and personality in their wargames. And there are tables where the story and social encounters are actually more common than actual fighting.

It may not be your preference, but it is still something D&D 5E offers.