It’s not just the seriousness but the amount of content that really sets 2 apart from 1. While the first one had a bigger and more diverse cast (and I miss certain characters in the sequel, like Xan), they had very little to say overall. They rarely interjected into dialogues, they rarely bantered with each other and very few of them had personal quests or character development.
In 2, the cast is cut down in size from 26 to 16, but those who are available all have plenty of input, with most of them having both a personal quest as well as some sort of character development over the course of the game. They might seem less interesting and unique at first glance, but after a playthrough they feel more fully realized as characters.
It’s not just the seriousness but the amount of content that really sets 2 apart from 1. While the first one had a bigger and more diverse cast (and I miss certain characters in the sequel, like Xan), they had very little to say overall. They rarely interjected into dialogues, they rarely bantered with each other and very few of them had personal quests or character development.
In 2, the cast is cut down in size from 26 to 16, but those who are available all have plenty of input, with most of them having both a personal quest as well as some sort of character development over the course of the game. They might seem less interesting and unique at first glance, but after a playthrough they feel more fully realized as characters.
At least that’s my experience.