I have only played for a couple of hours, but this feels like a really good Dark Souls clone
I enjoyed the first game, especially its unique free form customization system based on power armors, but it had this unappetizing oppressiveness about it. The levels were barren, hostile and claustrophobic, mostly office/industrial areas, but the small number of outdoors areas felt the same. In addition to this, the lore was substandard as well, so the levels mostly felt like generic Dark Souls style obstacle courses. I thought some of those obstacle courses were quite clever, but the lasting impression you were left with was that the levels weren't very memorable. The uncharismatic main character and often boring plot made things even worse, encouraging many people to abandon the game after only a couple of hours.
As far as I have played, the sequel resolves most of the main issues with the first game. The game starts out in a beautiful post-apocalyptic city that has obviously improved environmental variety. There are oppressive moments, but they are now well balanced against more easygoing gameplay moments, and a larger focus on interactions with NPCs. The exploration feels extremely rewarding, including a large number of clever shortcuts and some pretty neat hidden areas with bonus items. The plot has been open (you create your own character), mysterious and satisfying.
Meanwhile, the power armor customization and combat are still as addictive and fun as in the first game. When you meet a powerful non-respawning enemy, you have to strategically consider what body part you want to cut off to enhance your own character, and it is a very real possibility that you will fail and leave empty handed. So, combat works on at least three levels, where the win/lose state is one level, resource management is a second, and maximizing gained items is a third.
I would highly recommend this game for Dark Souls fans!
