I agree with a lot of what you say here. I really like this game but it's nowhere near as good as the first game imo. The characters aren't as well-rounded and the story far less memorable. Enjoyable but it didn't have the same impact for me. I seem to be in the minority but I much preferred the combat in the first game too. It could be awkward but the combat in this game felt more by-the-numbers. Good review though. I was thinking of tackling it myself at some point.