It really just is better. I've put hundreds of hours into this over the years. The atmosphere, music, the 2D style of play. It's just a perfect game
Those 3 things make this installment my personal favorite and most memorable of the entire series. Just beat it with my girlfriend and forgot how much fun I had with it nearly 30 years ago when it first came out.
I loved the first game and this one is even better in my opinion. They took everything I liked about the first one and improved on it, plus the RPG elements are very enjoyable. I do wish there was a multiplayer feature but it certainly isn't stopping me from having a good time.
My brother and I are in our 30s and my dad is in his 60s and all three of us play this game on either PC, Xbox or Switch and have a group text chat specifically about this game lol. It's fun and is always challenging. Just when you think you're good at it you get your ass handed to you and get humbled real quick
