I love the combat. Play on XBox One.
It's a thinking and adaptive system, one I hope Bethesda takes note of - I am a HUGE Elder Scrolls fan (ESO? No thanks.) but always felt their combat was too button-mashy. Honestly, the pre-release gameplay footage of combat was what sold me on the game. I have to think, react, and plan in every fight. Potions, oils, signs. Read the bestiary, and scavenge every tome scrap I can find to gain more entries. I've been swarmed and overcome plenty already, and I've only just gotten to Velen to search for Ciri. It's not the system that's at fault for those fails, it's my own for allowing myself to be overwhelmed. The enemies are smarter than any RPG before has earned credit to be, and this is my first foray into the Witcher series,
I've currently involved myself in the Fake Papers side quest outside Velen where I need to help clear the ghouls from the field. I'm level 4, and the ghouls are levels 7-9, plus a couple raiders on horseback (where did THEY come from??). I was doing SO well and got cocky. Forgot all the lessons learned, because I succumbed to bloodlust. Since it was late and I had to go to work in the morning, I quit - frustrated with myself, but not the game.
Enemies circle, retreat, and lure.I don't use lock-on, because I know when one enemy backs up and draws me closer, there's another one circling around behind me. It's not as unforgiving as a Dark Souls, but you'll definitely pay for hasty decisions.