gonna have to go against the grain here
The gameplay is only vanilla
if
you play on easy. The higher difficulties actually require strategy and make the combat worthwhile. It's maybe
the
quintessential example of a game that makes so many more of its systems matter on higher difficulties: learning the bestiary, preparing oils, making a synergetic build, using signs more strategically. A lot of that stuff can be outright ignored on lower difficulties, and I actually really liked the combat system in this game when I bumped it up.
That said, Quen is OP on any difficulty and the game is great for a lot of other reasons. So just do what you want.
I think I started on the second hardest, got wrecked, bumped it down to normal, cruised there for a while before it got a bit too, well, vanilla, and bumped it up later on.
Welcome to your Divinity.