Nice callback to Rebecca Mayes.
Personally, I thought the sandbox in NMH1 was unecessary; a distraction from getting from Point A to B. I found this game to be more streamlined in terms of moving from one part of the game to the next. It's funny how Yahtzee would complain about too many games having a sandbox and now he's calling out on the decision to take it away from the game as a lazy decision.
While I do agree that at some points it feels like the fights do get a bit repetitive, my biggest complaint is the final boss who has this astoundingly cheap teleport attack and make you his ***** with it. Also, he can knock you out of a giant glass window for an insta-kill.
Also, I must say that given Suda's track record, all those details like an inconsistent camera, occasional sudden graphical jumps, tricky jumping mechanics, etc. are anything but unintentional, given how his games have been described as "punk", AKA, rough around the edges.
I've come to accept this from him and frankly I can dig it.