I cannot help myself to compare this title with previous Crimes and Punishments. What is obvious is, that this title is greatly influenced by movies with Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law and it affects all parts of gameplay.
In terms of game design, Frogware added a lot to the game. The essential from previous game is still there (clues, interrogations, deduction) but added a lot more action, getting closer to the action adventure classification. Which is not bad, just different, but I personally enjoyed it a lot.
Characters changed a lot in every aspect, visuals, voiceovers and even character is changed to match better the recent movie adaptation. I leave verdict about this decision in your hands, but if you enjoyed the movies you won't be angry. If you didn't like them and prefer the original Arthur Conan Doyle's version of characters, you would be disappointed.
The story has a lot more action scenes but cases still makes sense and it fits well the set atmosphere. However, Frogware tried to link all cases to one bigger story, with consequences and decision and it didn't played out that well. I actually felt less weighted by consequences of my decisions than in the previous game, where it wasn't an important part of gameplay.
Overall, this title is rather good, enjoyable and I don't regret buying it.