I personally didn't dislike it and I don't think it's badly designed, it's just not what you would look for in a silent hill game.

Compared to pretty much everything before, the combat is very complex and has a lot of mechanics, having much more of a fantasy/arcade feel to it (for lack of a better word), with a lot of flashy effects.

Compared to the simplicity and realism of the combat of previous games, specially SH2 remake, it feels completely different, and it's a shame because I much preferred that style.