XCOM 2 is a good example of what a sequel should do, the core gameplay is left intact, but certain mechanics are more developed, particularly what they introduced in XCOM: Enemy Within. As an example, damage resistance has been lumped into a single armor mechanic, grenade and ammo types are easier to use thanks to more equipment slots, and instead of meld there are now strict time limits on loot and some mission types. Research and engineering also seem less important because there are fewer projects and manufacturing individual weapons and armor is gone in favor of upgrades that only need to be purchased once.
Some of these changes are more welcome than others, but I think the game is generally easier to understand and doesn't rely as much on copying the original X-COM: UFO Defense anymore. The rebooted series is more like Fire Emblem with guns and aliens so that's probably a good thing.
What I definitely don't like is how character driven the plot is. The writing is cheesy in the worst way possible and it feels wrong to focus so much in a few characters when the survival of humanity is at stake, it just feels incredibly narcissistic and goes against the themes that the series is known for. The clearest example of this for me is the commander, which is the role that the player takes in these games. He went from being the guy in charge of the XCOM program to some sort of demigod who can control armies telepathically and apparently is worth spending 20 years trying to recover, even though he lost the first war. Sadly, I have found out that the developers have doubled down in this approach so at this point I don't care one bit for Chimera Squad.
The game is also rather buggy, enough that I wouldn't recommend playing in ironman mode which is a real shame since this series is largely responsible for popularizing the mechanic. Also, it's possible to bypass the awful 2K launcher, but I'm unsure of how stable that is.
To conclude, I would recommend XCOM 2 to people who enjoyed the reboot, or even to newcomers to the series, since the story doesn't really matter all that much. It's also one of the most accessible strategy games out there and it has mods for its more minor issues so it can be enjoyed by both casual and experienced players alike.