I haven't played either of the GoW games yet, but I don't see how the sequel being so similar to the original is such a big deal. It's not like by the time the sequel rolled around that the GoW formula had wore thin. TP is a fine example of how you can take a game(OoT) and fine tune the experience while adding new things along the way. The inevitable GoW PS3 title doesn't have to reinvent the wheel to stay relevant; doing so would only cause outrage from those who were calling for a change in the first place. As a big Nintendo fan for 20 years, I've heard the call for change many times and had to endure the self-righteous outrage of "fans" every time a change was made.
Sometimes I dream of making a gritty, cutting edge, balls-to-the-wall, action/adventure epic monstrosity of a game. Then in the spirit of change, make the sequel a doe-eyed, cartoony dating sim just to rile everyone up. :)
"I feel like I could take on the whole Empire myself."
