Been a while since playing the last game so I can't compare directly, but I thought this game was pretty cool and fun. It's a good size for a metroidvania, but I feel it's missing some interesting abilities for progression. Unsure how I feel about the combat. There was one boss where I felt like a hit a solid flow, but otherwise I feel it may leave something to be desired. I didn't get much from the story but I was never invested to begin with. I like the aesthetic but a few sprites look genuinely awful, like a certain snake.