>>115152
It was a technical and conceptual leap which can't be properly understood without the original game, the impact of the jump from the levels of the original to these huge naturalistic mazes and great towers doesn't come across by just watching the Mexilore iPad toddler sleep-aid videos or whatever. I think that is what justifies the game's existence in face of the original (co-op too, I guess), the plot doesn't have nearly as much to say as the original beyond explicitly spelling out that which was always implicitly there, but it's still pleasant enough as Jones's and Kirkpatrick's more frivolous indulgence after wrapping up the self-contained story of the first. I don't remember any parts where I really struggled with 2 despite stepping up a difficulty level from 1, I played Infinity on Total Carnage and that three level run of vacuum levels felt like more of an imposition than all of the first two games combined, only that game really warrants the series's reputation of obtuse death mazes. Still remember a few nasty teleports and a close call with ammo from that one. Applying an objective lens of goodgamedesign to most old videogames is silly and anachronistic, there's not much point in playing them at all if one isn't willing to take them as products of their respective times, places, authors and sets of sensibilities. 2 may well feel like bullshit on TC, might revisit it like that someday.