I'm off two minds about the additional renders. While I do like having the extras renders, for me it's always been more helpful in less captivating games. When the story has me locked in, I barely notice the transition renders.
In your case, I'd never notice the fewer renders. I'm locked in on this story.
That is absolutely correct about the fact that some people will often not notice fewer renders. But the only time I do NOT notice each detail of what happens on the screen is when the story below is so badly written, that my brain spends it's time trying to correct it. That is NEVER a problem with your game. I WILL notice fewer renders, but whether the fewer renders turn out to be significant remains to be seen. I suspect I will get over it, because for me, the story is by far, the most important thing.
