Any sequel suffers the challenge of being compared to its predecessor. That's simply a fact of life that developers must deal with. A wise rule of thumb they would do well to adopt would be to never offer fewer options or less depth than the original, or to remove key aspects of the game. To do so often results in an apparent "Lite" version of the original, which is what has happened here. The most glaring omission is the elimination of the skills and skill advancement process. Bye-bye RPG elements, and subtract 40% of the fun I had in the original before even booting up. Horrible choice that doesn't make any sense at all. Fewer augmentation slots and indistinct upgrade levels. A weapon selection made much more bland by the use of generic "universal" ammo. Sure, it's now easier to reload, but ammo management in the original forced you to try different weapons regularly, which added to the enjoyment. I can't even look at my biomods unless I've got a new one to install? What's up with that??? A clunkier interface and the elimination of quick-save and quick-load options (-10% for that alone!) also result in a less enjoyable gaming experience. The graphics and gameplay are OK and the sound is good. If I had not played the original, I would probably give this a 7. It's sad to see such bad development decisions repeated over and over. If you're going to capitalize on the fame of the original, you owe gamers a sequel that meets the challenge. This one left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
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