i think it's interesting you mention that some things work better in definitive over the original version, because i find that definitive completely revokes some of the key aspects of the original that i thought were so cool. not knowing the fates of party members in act 2 until meeting with them again was a big one, and erik's amnesia i always found worked a hell of a lot better "unexplained" because it wasn't really hard to fill in the blanks that he had a trauma response of dissociation after what happened to his sister

i really think DE hinting at what's to come in act 2 completely ruins the appeal and pacing of it in the first place. also i'd honestly probably recommend going through with act 3. as much as i don't like it, i think your lack of attachment to the latter end of the plot would make you enjoy its revelations more. but iunno - your mileage may vary