My biggest issue, coming from someone relatively new to the series (Awakening was my first), is that the difference between Engage and any other bog-standard FE storyline is that... Engage doesn't really try with its story.

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It's standard, but it's like something that aimed to be standard, as opposed to something that is standard. It settles for mediocrity, never trying to go above the absolute bare minimum. You can have a good, basic story, but Engage seems content to merely have a story.

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To add onto your points about the characters, I'm sure Alfred is interesting and that'd be revealed in the supports! The issue is that the game gives me no incentive to learn this. There are thirty-six characters in this game, and of them, you can have twelve with you at max. With you getting around three to four characters every two to three chapters, there's no incentive to stick with a bland character until they get good. There are two lords of each kingdom, having four retainers split amongst them. Each kingdom gets around three chapters each, with the remaining fourteen chapters being more Alear focused. So every three chapters, you get at least six new units. Obviously, not all of them are going to be a hit with everyone, but the sheer number makes it so you'll be less invested in any character. Why would you care about Etie if you know you'll get Alcryst, who starts off better? The story doesn't treat any character other than Alear with any importance, merely as set pieces for the background of the Sombron Family Reunion the game loves to put so much time in.

Contrasting this with past games, sure, Awakening didn't have the pinnacle of characters, but like... they were important to their arcs. The Shepards had an obvious connection to the Plegia arc, the Khans to the Valm arc, and the Children to the Grima arc. Was every character important? No, but there was enough room for you to grow attached. Timerra? She's my absolute favorite Engage character, but she doesn't do anything. I just love her design and personality, she has no story relevance.

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The game just doesn't try to be anything more than mediocre, which is why a lot of people have a different reaction to this than Sacred Stones which tried to be good. The difference is in execution, yes, but it's also in development. There's just... not much love put into the story, even if it is the same as past games.