Personally I think that the newer games may be spoiling you with how they combine action and horror. Back when I played it, the survival horror theme was very real. So many new horrors in that game.
And the story is RE at its core but played loosely. It was the last game to be very goofy in the franchise really. Unless we count punching boulders.
So yeah the combat takes a front seat but the shift was necessary. The old mechanics were dated and making RE3 pt 2 may have killed the franchise. So I’m glad how it turned out even if it is very linear.