Tbh i dont think its too late to turn back now.
You can still keep "sandbox" element in the game, like a free roam that BaD have.
Just make the story interactive and that it matters, theres so many possibilities in that wizard college and i think i would compare this game to BaD even if it werent for a sandbox..
People would be a lot happier
i believe the devs wanna give an exploration vibe to this game like in fantasy stories, that's why you get the sandbox.
For example you go into a specific region for a side quest, you complete a mini game, you have yourself a magical duel & then you get to seduce a girl, something like that. This game feels like it's about completing missions like you do in rpgs, you get potions & spells, stuff like that.
BaD on the other hand is like a full blown 90s hollywood teen movie production, it's story driven, it's about drama, relationships, great dialogues & making choices. I think you'll be disappointed if you expect this game to be like BaD.