Finishing up HZD before FW and hard disagree. The melee combat in ACV is leagues better than spamming light-attack-light-attack-heavy-attack-critical-strike in HFW. However, if you're in melee combat you've already essentially failed in this game. Still it's not great. Contrast with that in ACV.
If we're just talking about, who has better combat encounters period, HZD wins just because it is more than melee combat, but that hardly means ACV (or ACO or AC. . .O v2.O) had terrible or boring combat.
. . .and hands down the acting and overall writing in ACV is better than HFW. As someone mentioned way too many of the NPC's in HFW are stilted and deliver their lines like their lifeless soulbots. Ashley Burch and Lance Reddick are CLEAR standouts in the game and the story is definitely engaging, but no way is it trounced by what is on offer from HFW, particularly the last two AC's (I haven't played Origins).
Like, I get people love to kneejerk shit on UBI-Openworlds but this criticism feels like wild hyperbole.