Yeah I felt that while Q2 was technically superior, it just lost all the charm that Q1 had, in the enemies, the general ambience, etc. It just seemed so generic to me. Happened to Blood 1 & 2 as well. It’s much like how many movies rely on special effects instead of their story and characters.
Deus Ex, Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, and Cyberpunk 2077. Like you said, they are games I like to get lost in, just walk/drive around in, soak in the ambience. I like to pretend I’m there; it’s a great escape, like you said, comforting.