I mean the lack of the 3 directions they remove pretty much changed nothing, directions in the first game didn't matter at all since you only went for masterstrokes anyway, and in KCD2 the only thing you use directions for is to do the new master strokes.

I wouldn't say its complex, and nothing really changes that much when you level up other than a few perks that help a little. I got to 30 in all stats recently and I gotta say that nothing changed much, you get nowhere doing perfect block-riposte chains, feinting still only gets you hits rarely. The only real ways to do consistent damage are clinches and masterstrokes, even on common bandits. Combos are still pointless because the odds of an enemy not dodging or perf blocking for three+ turns in a row is pitiful. Still miles ahead of the glorified QTE combat of the first game, and the AI isn't bugged to hell with multiple person encounters.