This game takes everything the first game did good and does it even better. Which says a lot considering how brilliant the first game is. The art direction is just as great as always, and it absolutely /shines/ in modern gen lighting and graphics, the gameplay is smooth and engaging unlike the admittedly clunky gameplay of the first, and the character writing takes it above and beyond. It's a sequel that lives up to its years of hype, and absolutely my game of the year