I felt the same at first, but Bayo 1 is way more balanced and deep the more you dig into it on replays. Bayo 2 is a better first playthrough
Nah. I had no issues with the series becoming exclusive, and I STILL think Bayo2 falls apart compared to its predecessor when you play on higher difficulties and/or go in expecting the skill ceiling the first game had.
It's a really good game, still, but there's a reason veteran players like Saur leaned more to W101 and even Transformers: Devastation for Platinum-action that allowed for better player expression.
See, I love Bayo 2 more for these reasons. I felt I got the same great flashy action with combos BUT it was more accessible, which was a huge PLUS for me. That, and love how much more over the top and hilarious Bayo 2 is.