Looks nice, but there's definitely something wrong here.
The sequel tries very hard, and even succeeds on some levels. The updated graphics are very solid. I thought the voice acting was well acted, and I liked the new score and sound effects. The setting of New Marais is great, and feels very much alive. Many of the same elements that made the original great are here, unchanged. Cooking bad guys with bolts of energy is still a blast.
But I think Tom Mc Shea's review is spot on. There are a few problems, and they're so glaring that they're hard to get past.
Cole's movement controls are problematic. He's either too "sticky" or not sticky enough, depending on the situation. There was a little of this in the original game, but here the issue seems magnified, probably because some of the missions have time requirements.
The Karma system makes no sense. You might think it does right at the beginning, but it does not.
All the extra powers are overkill and feel like too much. Give us two or three new powers to keep the game interesting, but adding on dozens just makes it annoying. Now you have to stop before a battle, make sure the right thing is selected, then go. Sometimes you'll mix it up, switching out powers for others in the middle of a battle. Sometimes you'll just need to throw things (Wow? A guy that can shoot freaking lightening bolts out of his hands has to resort to throwing things?) Even though it takes just a second to switch out, it ruins the momentum and rhythm of the conflict. In the original, you were always ready. In the sequel, you'll need a second to prep first.
I played for about five hours last night after getting it home, but didn't feel like I wanted to keep playing once I got tired, like I do with any really, really good game (like the original.) I won't be able to play it again until tomorrow afternoon, and surprisingly enough, I'm okay with that.