Well, first, it's a matter of focus in a game. I love Ultima VII above pretty much any RPG in existence, but if you gave me a game with Ultima VII combat and balance but without all the hundreds of unique NPCs, dialogues and interactions I would hit you with a iron bar.
Second, balance in combat is a serious issue when it simply trivializes any challenge, not when it can *eventually* be reduced through some min-maxing and advanced tactics.
In KoA the "battle system" consists of mashing buttons while the character does flashy moves.
In games like D:OS or Baldur's Gate II, to name two, being completely slaughtered or destroying completely your opponents are both very common outcomes, and the difference is your battle plan.
Personally, I'm not even that much into hard games. There are plenty of easy ways to make games harder that I would simply hate (i.e. inflating enemies HPs).
While I can appreciate some challenge as far as I find it fun to beat, I just don't want games that play themselves and require hardly any attention on my side.