Reviews were mixed, more negative than the opposite, but I gave it a try and was pleasantly suprised!
The experience turned out to be awesome. While F2 wasn’t as innovative as the original one, it is definitely superior to the expansions. With Extraction Point (3rd in the series), I felt I had played a very, very long game that just wouldn't end. I feared with F2 it was going to be the continuity of that "been there, done that" boring feeling, but the improvements were there to make me live a different experience.
One major improvement: the pace of the action. While a tad bit too short in its length (you can easily complete the game in less than 8hrs!), the game never stops to put you into new challenges while perfectly blending in action and cut scenes. The feeling of being part of the game was, to me, even better than the first one. The adrenaline never stopped and it was easy to get back into the mood (less than a couple of minutes) even after a few days in a row without playing.
The environments, while still linear in the path you have to follow, made me feel we had way more freedom to explore than the previous games. This is due to very good game design and artwork.
It is surprising how they were able to cram in so much details and awesome looks and lighting in the huge environments and still have the game running extremely smoothly even with the settings pumped at the maximum! The engine is just really, really good!
I do recommend the game to anybody who played and liked the original game as it is a good continuity in the story and brings in another good instalment in the series, but I also recommend it to new players, just for the experience… although they might be totally puzzled at what’s happening.