A note about my playthrough, for putting this review in context: my Agent was female, pretty neutral (vaguely leaning light-side), and took whatever path seemed best for the Empire.
There's quite a bit I wanted to talk about but couldn't with the word count, such as a few more comments on supporting characters and Watcher Two, as well as some more specific story critiques. That was also caused by a want not to spoil, of course. As ever, I feel free to expand and rant on at length here if anyone would further descend into my views.
I really rather liked the individual planet stories from Act I, but I agree that the overall narrative was a tad weak.
But I did it as a sniper, so I can't speak for the gameplay.
The problem with overall narrative for the first Act is really something I have against most of the classes. The planet's are a bit too standalone, and often it feels they could've been dropped without much story complication.
It doesn't help that Act 1 is also the longest act, so it's all-too-easy to just lose sight of the overarching objective.
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A Look at the Agent and Operative Healer
Agent's story, often touted as TOR's best, does have flaws. Act 1's pretty dull until the ending—though the ending confrontation is fantastic. Act 2's a lot better, hooking you right off the start, and Act 3 is similar. I'd give Act 2 the most praise, though Act 3 comes close. 2's a bit more personal: I can't say too much about it, but the Agent ends up essentially trapped for most of it, and throwing off the shackles comes with a real sense of triumph. Choices-wise, Agent's one of the most rich. Other classes may give you a Light or Dark path (Warrior), but Agent provides a nuanced approach. Act 1 has 3 to 4 different endings, and the actual ending is similarly rich. There's a real sense of character building, and genuine consequences appear—e.g. one person spared unlocks a new possible very different ending.
Each companion fits with a different kind of Agent: Lokin, the pragmatic; Vector, the saintly diplomat; Ensign, the nice patriot; and Kaliyo, James Bond driving downtown in a tank. Ensign's my least favourite, but Lokin and Vector's friendship warms the heart and Vector's honesty works well in contrast to other characters. An ironically human character for a man hooked to an insect Hive Mind. A main problem is that Kaliyo, while someone given an interesting mystery feeling to, is the only companion until half-way into the game, and she's not a good fit for a lot of Agents. Supporting characters are nice: "Keeper" (as first called) is a surprisingly warm figure despite some actions, and Watcher X is fascinating. Darth Jadus ends up one of my favourite characters, and not just in TOR. His daughter ends up a "shockingly" sympathetic figure, though one you learn to treat much like active dynamite.
Operative's playstyle is fun enough, with tricks, stealth, a sleep dart, and elements ensuring you've won the fight before it's already started, if you wish to fight at all—lovely stealth. But doing this in group content's easier said than done. Played right in PvE, the Operative healer can be essentially immortal, with constant healing, an Evasion and Shield skill, and an option to exit a battle with stealth. But for all your tricks, group content does not have much variation, and solo content can also feel boring, especially against heavy-hitters: you take damage and just heal as your companion attacks.