It is very similar to the first, but with some new added features/gameplay.

I enjoyed the first, and there is a little bit of a "learning curve" that even experienced players of SW: Battlefront will have to adapt to when playing II. But it is not as bad as you think. Takes only a couple of minutes to figure out the new controls. And yes you can reload your weapon in mid-clip. Just hit the Down Arrow on the Dir. Pad.

Pros:

With kills/points you can unlock higher classes.

There's a limited number of each class, so you don't get overwhelmed by special classes.

The medals system is a nice touch. So many kills/points with certain weapons gains you Boosts or Equipment Upgrades. And an increase in rank will give you Squad Members.

Gameplay is now more diverse, and the clumsy starfighters are now gone. They are now more like the SW craft in other SW games (Rogue Squadron for example).

The maps are definitely interesting. With a wide variety to choose from.

Start with the Rise of the Empire campaign-- helps to become familiar with the controls while picking up experience.

The long delay between switching weapons is gone. Now its a more reasonable delay, letting you switch to a different weapon if you come to the end of a clip.

You can earn Jedi/special characters while playing (single, multi, etc.). The Jedi/Special Characters *can* be killed, they are not invincible.

Addition of a Stamina bar. This bar reduces with sprinting, jumping. When flying or in a vehicle, the bar is an Energy bar, representing available boost or special manuevers.

Cons:

Overheating certain weapons happens often, until you realize that you can do a quick burst of fire, then lay off with the occasional shot while you wait for it to return to normal.

You can't always be the characters you want, and the limited numbers mean that if your skills are lower then you might not get a chance to play as a special unlock character/jedi.

Overall: Very enjoyable for previous SW:BF fans, and SW fans in general.
It is very similar to the first, but with some new added features/gameplay. I enjoyed the first, and there is a little bit of a "learning curve" that even experienced players of SW: Battlefront will have to adapt to when playing II. But it is not as bad as you think. Takes only a couple of minutes to figure out the new controls. And yes you can reload your weapon in mid-clip. Just hit the Down Arrow on the Dir. Pad. Pros:

With kills/points you can unlock higher classes. There's a limited number of each class, so you don't get overwhelmed by special classes. The medals system is a nice touch. So many kills/points with certain weapons gains you Boosts or Equipment Upgrades. And an increase in rank will give you Squad Members. Gameplay is now more diverse, and the clumsy starfighters are now gone. They are now more like the SW craft in other SW games (Rogue Squadron for example). The maps are definitely interesting. With a wide variety to choose from. Start with the Rise of the Empire campaign-- helps to become familiar with the controls while picking up experience. The long delay between switching weapons is gone. Now its a more reasonable delay, letting you switch to a different weapon if you come to the end of a clip. You can earn Jedi/special characters while playing (single, multi, etc. ). The Jedi/Special Characters *can* be killed, they are not invincible. Addition of a Stamina bar. This bar reduces with sprinting, jumping. When flying or in a vehicle, the bar is an Energy bar, representing available boost or special manuevers. Cons:

Overheating certain weapons happens often, until you realize that you can do a quick burst of fire, then lay off with the occasional shot while you wait for it to return to normal. You can't always be the characters you want, and the limited numbers mean that if your skills are lower then you might not get a chance to play as a special unlock character/jedi. Overall: Very enjoyable for previous SW:BF fans, and SW fans in general.