First Impressions: DEAD SPACE 2

Make no mistake about it, I am a diehard fan of the original Dead Space for a number of reasons. The excellent atmosphere, the great sound design, and the fascinating story all conspire to make it a classic in my mind, not to mention the fact that there seems to be a dearth of good sci-fi/horror properties and DS fills that void wonderfully.
That said, after only a couple of hours of game time with its sequel, Dead Space 2, I feel ready to make the following statement.
I like Dead Space 2 better.
Before you stop reading in indignation, keep in mind that I've only played a small portion of the game, and that these are only my first impressions of DS2. I may change my mind after I complete the game, but that's the subject for another article.
Here's a list of things that I've liked so far.

1: A MORE DRAMATIC NARRATIVE
Dead Space had a great story, a wonderfully atmospheric setting in the U.S.G. Ishimura, and it delivered its story in a novel way. As Isaac Clarke wandered the vacant hallways, you would often find audio and text logs that fleshed out what happened to the doomed ship. It was an interesting approach, but it did have one major drawback- Isaac was simply an observer as he rushed from location to location trying to stay alive. It was the equivalent of visiting a crime scene after the tragedy has already taken place, and Isaac never truly became involved, except as the story began to coalesce at the end.
In DS2, Isaac feels like a participant from the beginning. After escaping Aegis VII, he has become an object of interest for both the Church of Unitology and the Earth Government. He seems like an actual character this time rather than an on-screen avatar for the player, and it really makes the story that much more intense, especially since he's at the center of the action.
Adding to the intensity are several well-crafted cinematics that help to give the player a sense of the scope and scale of the unfolding disaster.

2: COMBAT
In the first Dead Space, I got by fairly easily, almost never using the secondary functions of my weapons unless I was backed into a corner.
In DS2 though, I find myself relying on them to keep me out of trouble. They seem to be both more effective and more necessary to survival, and I like that I need to use the full range of my abilities to stay alive.
The new enemy types are also impressive, and my favorites have to be the Stalkers. Having a lurker or one of the other enemies rush you headlong is still terrifying, but there is a whole different sort of fear to hearing them calling first from in front of you.. then from the side... then from everywhere...

3: NAVIGATION
The clunky 3D interface is gone for good, replaced by in improved variation on the objective indicator from the first game. Now, a click of the right stick can tell you where to go for a save station, store, or bench. Much better.

So those are my first impressions of DS2. If anyone wants to throw in, feel free to post in the comments.