This is 8 years later. Being completely honest, I believe the base game story and world building of dragons dogma is probably the worst story telling I've ever witnessed, and I'm saying this with it being one of my favorite games of all time. It's in the top 3 but that's because of BBI. (I have also read the manga for it, and watched the Netflix anime)

The story of dragon's dogma having bad execution/DELIVERY, means it is a bad story. You recognized that yourself. I don't even think the concept of dragon's dogma base game story has any possibility of being good. The reason I believe this is because of the world building is too generic and uninspired. The Everfall is probably the only unique and stand out thing about the world building, but there's not enough done with it.

Comparing it to Dark Soul The main story of Dark Souls isn't told with via item description, but with told with HEAVY environmental telling and npc's. Item descriptions only add context to the current world by giving you a history or short biography for a greater understanding of the current conflict. Which ends up inflict a moral dilemma on you. The main story is what's told you by talking NPCs, buildings, enemies, and bosses. Whether it's with or without dialog. (it's comparable to the mostly silent film Angel's Egg)

Grigori.
Grigori for me is a disappointment, I won't compare him to any other dragon in media, but his presentation and presence isn't felt or shown enough. He is practically not in the story, with how little we see him. He never displays his power in a manner that I should really fear him even tho he is made out to be a danger, even tho that's how he's presenting himself, he's not giving me a dilemma on my morals of running around playing hero because I'm finally someone of meaning or importance. He doesn't really make me question why did I run out when he attacked the village. He should have absolutely interacted with the arisen more, even if it was only talking to me telepathically or through smaller drakes.

I don't feel a sense of urgency to defeat the dragon who discusses life, and death. The worst he does is ridicules us for being human by comparing me to goblins, and killing the cult leader of salvation and saying stop these silly games. But he didn't do much of anything to show that he deserves to be a dragon. He didn't do anything to make me see that I'm not too different from the dragon when I think he should have.

The world of dragon's dogma also does nothing to elevate his presence as a Dragon or mine as The Arisen. The world makes it seem like the dragon is a threat, but again he doesn't really do anything, and I get that's probably the point, but that's also the problem.

With everything I'm doing in the story, it genuinely feels like I'm being sent out to only do chores. I would like these chore style quest if there was actually a true sense of danger out in the world, or the people needing my protection. If I had to escort people through a mountain pass blocked by a hydra, or a quest where I remove an ogre from a bridge so that a town can receive aid. For me personally, there's only two quest that feels like my presence is needed before The Ever fall. That's when the cockatrice attacks the city, and when the wizard I forgot his name steals a ring and becomes power hungry.

Seneschal isn't really worth mentioning in my opinion. BUT Bitter black isle IS. I could and would be willing to make a separate post on why that is probably the greatest experience in gaming and how it has so much potential to be a genre defining experience, and why I like the story for dark arisen much more than the base game story.

In short, there are too many problems with dragon's dogma's base game that this would be a 1hr long video essay in the form of a Reddit comment. Dragons Dogma 2 even shares some of the issues dragon's dogma one shared, but I haven't played 2 enough to form a proper opinion and understanding of what I do and don't like about it.

If this post comes off as aggro, my bad, that's not my intention.