Plot-wise, you'll probably be fine, as it's not exactly complex stuff.
It does sound like the sequel is trying hard to build on the choices you made in the original though, so that's likely to have an effect.
Why not try reading a summary of the plot, downloading a completed save copy, and reading up on what choices the downloader made? Optimally, you'd play through the first one in its entirety first, but you don't seem particularly happy with that, so...