I do feel that the land gives you an idea of what’s going on by itself, though, even through the layout. The First Order’s setup is in the town proper and the Resistance is out in the woods, which gives you an idea of where the leadership of the town leans as far as allegiances go.
The Falcon’s sitting out in the open, though, so clearly The First Order isn’t steamrolling the area at the moment, which means they must not have total control over the town yet. None of that’s from a book (I’m sure it’s in them still), just from how things are placed.
I will say that I wish some of the intricacies and details were in those little guide apps you get at the entrance (such as the history of the town, a short overview of the new characters like Vi, Oga, Savi, etc), but I think the broad strokes are there.