In case some of you don't know.
Can someone chime in on whether they liked it?

Yeah, I was kind of curious about that as well. Anyone here who can make a comparison between the first game and the second?

I can try ...
First off, you have a chance to customize your characters looks and actually see him or her walking about in the game world. The only problem with that is the fact that if you want to DO anything important in a place of importance (like the Town Hall) you have to wait for your character to actually get there, unlike the first game.
Your character is also shown as working in his profession rather than you just assigning duties to your workers.
I can't really say much more other than I prefer the first game over the second because it has more conveniences over the sequel.