I think it goes without saying that this is better than the first game -- it has about as much of a learning curve for the controls, more with combat than movement, which is pretty simple actually. Putting in an upgrade system was a brilliant idea to allow people to learn each new movement move at a time rather than be overwhelmed with a bunch of different button combinations. I like that there's no ability to pick up a gun anymore, and they found a creative way around you surviving when being shot at. The music is fantastic, as is the atmosphere. So far I am seeing this as a massive improvement over the first game, though a different taste on some level. Really enjoying the game, though I'm not a huge fan of time trials, challenges, and having to find a quicker, unknown path to get somewhere faster while being timed. I have never and probably will never enjoy time trials, but that doesn't detract at all from the game. I may give them a try but I don't really want to learn where all the quick nooks and crannies are throughout the map.