In typical Inti Creates fashion, the sequel is bigger, better, and much more refined than the original. The level design is better, in both side-view and top-down sections. Top-down sections in particular have been improved significantly. Jason now moves faster in top-down sections, and while that's a pretty mundane change, it basically fixes the pacing problem that the previous game had in top-down sections. Also, weapon levels are now much more balanced. While the lv8 shot is still the strongest, it's no longer overwhelmingly powerful, and the lower level weapons were changed/buffed in such a way that you'll actually find yourself using them in various situations, instead of just "I got hit a lot and leveled down" like in BMZ1. The same goes for sub-weapons; all of them have practical applications in combat now, instead of just the grenade. The biggest change, of course, is the addition of the counter. It is very well implemented, and it made top-down combat that much more fun.

As for side-view, it has its fair share of improvements as well. The GAIA system is pretty cool, and it makes SP management feel more involved. Traversing space and exploring different planets was neat too. Shoutout to the new MA pilots too, I hope we see more of them (Leibniz in particular) in BMZ3.

My only gripes with the game are fairly minor, but gripes nonetheless. First, I personally didn't like G-SOPHIA's weaponry as much as Sophia III's from the first game. In addition, I didn't really appreciate all the backtracking I needed to do to get the true ending, compared to the first game where you could get everything as you go.

Great game, all things considered. Might try out the DLC modes later, I'm particularly interested in Copen's.