I think the point is to be less combat forward and more RP forward, leaving most of character creation moldable in the hands of the player.
I did character creation with my normal D&D group last night and we all had a really good time coming up with experiences and connections as a group.
Combat feels easier to balance now, as enemy actions are tied to player action, so you aren't just making 20 enemy moves while everyone at the table falls asleep, with GMs having the ability to jump in with extra attacks if combat needs more spice, the idea of successes and fails having potential consequences depending on if you roll a hopeful or fearful result makes things more interesting than "I rolled a 2."
I personally love the death system. Games that are RP forward make you way more attached to your character and their story, and the player having the choice on what happens is a big part of collaborative storytelling.