There were some things I liked a bit less than in the first series (like focus on Eder again, we all love our Ethosian boi, but where is Aloth!!!), and I did prefer running the keep vs pirating...

...but the world is so immersive, the different ways you can do quests or storylines, all the new people and places, and choices from PoE1 that impact the second one make it an excellent isometric RPG to play for fans of the genre and newbies alike. Be warned though, you will get the shanties stuck in your head forever...