i thought the combat was better (especially the powers), but the ammo and regening health made it feel more generic, and some of the color schemes didn't help. the characters were the highlights of the game (with the exception of miranda and jacob), but the main plot was stitched together very, very, badly, leaving a great many holes. the writing and some of the set pieces were good, but the real stars were a few loyalty missions, and the quality of those justified the price.