This goes back to the later classic games with 4 separate stages to pick from into the midpoint and then 4 more separate stages. While I do miss how unique the previous game was, I don't really mind that they went back to this.
One of the big new additions in this one is that Zero can acquire different forms. These change how you look, and come with their own strengths and weaknesses. Some are clearly better than others, but there is still a lot of variety to be had here, especially with the order you unlock them. I really liked how to unlock a form. You generally needed to lean towards one certain playstyle for that stage, such as lots of buster kills, dash slashes, air slashes, etc. The stages in general felt a bit longer, each with their own little gimmick, making them memorable. Going for S ranks though was much easier as they increased the amount of damage you can take before failing. There are even more incentives in this one, as you gain EX skills from each boss if you get to their stage as an A/S rank. While these EX skills are not required, they do give you more options for your playstyle. Elves still seem to be the same, so it's pretty useless, but they also added subtanks without needing them if you're really struggling. They also fixed the continue system, so you don't screw yourself the entire game if you just want to play it straight.
It easily beats the first game(even though it's great!) for me, as I loved replaying this with the different forms. I thought the music in the first game was great, but this was even better. The only real complaint is that the home base was a bit of a downgrade.
One of the big new additions in this one is that Zero can acquire different forms. These change how you look, and come with their own strengths and weaknesses. Some are clearly better than others, but there is still a lot of variety to be had here, especially with the order you unlock them. I really liked how to unlock a form. You generally needed to lean towards one certain playstyle for that stage, such as lots of buster kills, dash slashes, air slashes, etc. The stages in general felt a bit longer, each with their own little gimmick, making them memorable. Going for S ranks though was much easier as they increased the amount of damage you can take before failing. There are even more incentives in this one, as you gain EX skills from each boss if you get to their stage as an A/S rank. While these EX skills are not required, they do give you more options for your playstyle. Elves still seem to be the same, so it's pretty useless, but they also added subtanks without needing them if you're really struggling. They also fixed the continue system, so you don't screw yourself the entire game if you just want to play it straight.
It easily beats the first game(even though it's great!) for me, as I loved replaying this with the different forms. I thought the music in the first game was great, but this was even better. The only real complaint is that the home base was a bit of a downgrade.