This is an issue that I've faced twice in the game now - once after exiting the tutorial zone and again just recently.

If you don't follow the storyline and decide to wander off a bit and explore new regions, chances are you will eventually stumble upon scripted events that will treat you as if you had already done the story up to that point. Character names will be mentioned, as well as other significant hints that may ruin / spoil the story for you. When I died after exiting the tutorial zone (I stumbled upon a group of bandits and I was alone) the gamed said "The Watcher has died". I did not know what a Watcher was and seeing that in big, bold letters kinda ruined the surprise of learning who my character was by myself.

The second time was after I met the dwarf huntress (Sagani?) and ventured off to find this person she was looking for. When I found the location, the dwarf mentioned the name of a very important person in my story (I did not know who but I added 2 and 2 together to assume who he was) and its not a person I have directly met or learned of his name yet. Again, another spoiler...

Maybe I'm just dramatizing a bit, and this is all not that important, but the way the events and characters are structured (without checking to see if the player is up to that point) kinda ruin the will to explore now... I'm afraid I will stumble upon things that will give away too much. In a way, its like I'm being forced to complete the story before doing my own thing.

 

I've noticed some inconsistencies, like followers saying how much they'd like to visit places I've already been.  No big deal but you can't help noticing them.