It turns out that the solution for having tedious game-play was to reduce the amount of it, rather than fixing it. I'm not really complaining, because the game maintains it's weight despite the larger scale. Some parts really drag, and I don't think it exceeds how unique the narrative of the previous game but it doesn't squander what it has.
That being said, the writing leans heavily on telling instead of showing. It's a byproduct of the constant voices, which sometimes basically over-narrate what the player is seeing. It's occasionally jarring and to me, frustrating.
It's always unpleasant and sometimes depressingly violent. But if you don't mind and have the ability to buy into it I'd recommend both Hellblade entries. As for relative quality though, Hellblade II is one step forward, one step back.

Combat, when it hits, is so good it feels like a magic trick. It's fun as heck if you can get into it. Over the course of it's 11 arenas though, it doesn't develop very well: levels become repetitive, the new combat mechanics don't meld well, and they add a repetitive boss battle that shows up two different times. There's also an excellent narrative, but unfortunately it never gets a chance to really shine. Still, I'd really recommend trying this one. I'm not very good at it, so the generous assist settings came in clutch.

It's-A beautifully charming and playful game, with gentle difficulty curve and plenty of mechanics to ease the frustration characteristic of some of these 2D Mario games. I'm sure that some hardcore fans will miss the challenge of older games but it hits the sweet spot for me. I'll be honest, it's not as groundbreaking as it sounded when it first got released, but it's so polished you can see your reflection in it. I hope that they treats their workers well because I don't know that anyone does the art of game development like Nintendo.