It's pretty much everything I wanted out of the first game. Its character writing is better, the overall gameplay is a lot smoother and less clunky, the open-world-like areas are really engaging and more fun to traverse, and the pacing is 10 times better.

My only problems are the stealth is still basic as shit, the art direction is a bit of a downgrade, and the overall narrative is a bit weaker with the main villains being really shallow and the ending feeling too cheesy; even for me.