Only ever played with the community patch so I can't speak of the base version. Combat is ok, it's a means to an ends, and the other systems are weaker.
The previous poster is right, it didn't matter. The world, characters, plot, interactions, atmosphere, music, were the draw and they kicked ass.
Won't be giving Bloodlines 2 a pass if the combat etc is crap though. It's 2025, there are now countless examples of how to do modern RPG combat systems and the game has been in development for years and years (restarting the process isn't an excuse). That said, the real litmus test is the stuff I mentioned before, and I have even less hope about that considering how linear the game has been rumoured to be and what has been shown so far.
I live in hope though. Maybe it will surprise, maybe. However pre-ordering based on that hope is insanity.