A great improvement over the first game for virtue of having functioning online co-op. Combat feels great, characters are fun, and the soundtrack slaps too. The plot is structured better too in a way where exploration is more encouraged and most collectibles aren't too unreasonable. The developers seem to have gone the Yakuza route of retaining mostly the same maps to focus on adding other new elements.

I think the only area where this game has lost points with me is that it commits the cardinal sin of co-op games: only the host retains main story/collectible progress. I understand that this is can be a tricky issue to address due to having to factor in players at different stages of the story playing with each other, but having played start to finish with my friend, it is a bummer that I have to start from scratch sans my level/item/move purchases. I suppose it will at least go faster when I replay it.

Still, despite my misgiving about the co-op implementation RCG2 is a direct upgrade to the first game in every way and i daresay you could even skip it if you wanted. Definitely worth playing this if you love beat 'em ups.