can you explore the whole world from the beginning?

[Voss]

I wish we could go whereever we want and explore a la skyrim. I enjoy exploring areas and searching for treasure while ignoring the quests. Although I like the isometric style I hope the game is not too linear like the Baldurs Gate games were.

I think it depends, because while the beginning and end (of both BGs) are very linear to the point of wallowing in common railroad plot failures, the majority of the games (the good parts) aren't linear at all, and there are lots of things to explore and search, while completely ignoring the main plot- which frankly is cheesy, empty and unnecessary.  

 

Getting involved in the iron crisis and the plots of the Iron Throne are interesting enough without devolving the main character to special snowflake with special powers because navelgazing bollocks.  Being a fantasy hero should frankly be special enough without mucking it up.  Finding some connection and reason to go to Amn would have been a lot better than an off screen 'you got captured because... plot demands you get captured.'

 

This contrasts pretty strongly with the IWD experience, where everything is on a straight line of poorly-thought out and incoherent encounters against random monsters pulled from the Monster Manual (sorry, Monstrous Compendium) on an utter whim.  The early part of 2 is a bit better for this as it is (random Malarites aside) focused on the goblinoid threat, but still just one path to the end linear. 

Edited March 21, 2015 by Voss