Yes the original BG games were not special because of any one factor. Almost all of the elements of those games were to be found in other games as well. What made the BG games so very special was the perfect combination of those factors coming together in a beautiful synergy. And yes, that included combat gameplay.
Re. the title, it is entirely reasonable for people to be unhappy with the "BG III" title. I also very strongly believe they should have gone with "Baldur's Gate: subtitle" (and Baldur's Gate: Return of the Illithari would've been a great choice) and not "BG III." Specifically, it's the "III" in the title that bothers me.
Should someone pass on the game just because of this? That's each individual's prerogative. For my part, the title is not a deal-breaker. But the game having a combat gameplay system in any way similar to that of the D:OS games .... yeah, that would be a deal-breaker for me.
