I got used to controls in time, but combat was lame indeed, especially because it was hard and you couldn't go anywhere without having to fight your way trough dozens of wolfs, giant bees, etc.
But the world and characters of Gothic II seem pretty alive, which is the thing that many RPGs(and other games) can't deliver. Characters look and sound like they should, and all have diferent personalities. They live their lives in a real way, and treat you diferently, with more or less respect, depending on how you treat them or some people that they know, or depending on the fraction you join. And it isn't implemented just cosmeticly like in some RPGs, in Gothic every character will have diferent comments and reactions, and it will always look very real.
Also graphic design was great, with perfectly real morphology of mountains, hills, rivers, lakes, forests, villages, and farms, that are a work of art just for itself(this last thing wouldn't be important at all if the game wasn't good, but since it is good it just makes her better).