Lineage 2 in general is a PVP mmo, my favourite thing about it used to be that you can kill anyone almost anywhere whenever. Lot's of end game pvp content, clan wars, castle sieges, olympiad/hero system (not sure if thats in classic yet). If you are looking for a timesink, lineage 2 is 99% pve grind I would say.

Yes you can play it as a f2p player but the VIP system is heavy p2w, not only the advantages you get are heavy but also the price you pay for them. For example VIP lv 7 gives you +2 of every main stat, in lineage 2 main stat is huge, end game armor sets gives +2 strenght for example but takes away -2 concentration. So getting +2 from every main stat is huge. Also you get +5% pvp damage at VIP lv7 but in order to reach VIP lv 7 you have to spend 500 euros worth cash shop currency and to keep your vip lv at 7 you have to spend 125 euros worth each month. So yes it's heavy p2w, but will everyone run around with vip lv 7 probably not. (VIP lv 7 also gives a bunch of other advantages, like +200% item drop rate, +xp, +sp etc.)

I used to adore and love this game, but in 2020 the combat is tragically outdated in my opinion, it's nothing like the combat of other pvp oriented mmos. Especially in mid levels, maybe end game combat is interesting but you will never reach that because this is one of the grindiest mmos out there.

There are still a lot of things to love about this game though. I love the crafting system, the general economy of the game, the gear progression. Being in a clan and having a castle, taking/defending/owning it still has it's moments.

If you like hardcore korean MMOs, go for it, but in 2020 I would say it's not worth to invest time into. Also NCsoft is currently remastering/remaking Lineage 2 not sure how that will turn out, but you maybe should wait for that.