Huge step up. This expansion is excellent and should be a top pick. This is probably the game in the franchise with the most content diversity, you have Story, Conquest, Free Battle, Missions, 1on1 battles, alot of allies to choose from.

This game has the best replayability of the franchise, this game conquest mode is the BEST. Aside from normal conquest we have Dream chance conquest which allows us to bet on which faction will win, so we gotta start defeating enemies so that our bet can survive the longest.
But isn't the dream chance alone that makes this the best conquest, its the stage diversity. This game conquest is always giving you diff options instead of recycling the same stages over and over again.
Basara2 conquest has no stage diversity, Basara4 conquest isn't really a conquest it just throws up random stages. Basara3 has the Basara2 conquest with the randomness of Basara4.

This game could be perfect if not for some characters in the roster. 6 of the characters added in this expansion, in comparison with the rest of the roster who have 7 diff designed weapons, 2 oufits and 3 special moves, doesn't have outfit nor weapon design diff and only 1 special move.
This is something i never got past of but since they atleast are playable i cant complain.