It may not feel like Crysis anymore but it's a great new overhaul to the series.
Crysis 2 however is different from the first game. All this talk of 'dumbing down' is completely absurd just because the game is released on consoles. There are areas where Crysis 2 offers more and areas that it lacks compared to the first game. All in all, Crysis 2 is a very successful First Person Shooter.
Prone has been taken away but lean is still somewhat functional. Lean is implemented in the cover system where you take cover behind an obstacle and are able to lean around the corner or above to peek at the enemy.
The main selling point of the game , like the first one, is the tactical options you can choose in order to successfully complete missions. Crysis 2 feels like it gives you much more options than the first game. Using tac mode, you can pinpoint locations that can give you the upper hand in the battle. This is very useful especially for players playing on the Veteran difficulty and above.
The graphics have been more polished and lighting looks more dynamic and contrast compared to when Crysis first released. CryEngine 3 is the most optimized engine I've played on to date. The game looks and performs beautifully, which you can thank the consoles for that since Crytek had to really work on how it can run on lower end systems.
Crysis 2 requirements and recommended specs are definitely lower than what you had to have for the first Crysis.
The multi-player seems a lot better compared to the demo version. The maps are beautifully designed for a wide open area. I'll update more on the game-play of the multi-player since I've only tried Team Instant Deathmatch.
Crysis 2 is no doubt one of the best FPS games released in 2011 and has yet to see a contender.