I'll rephrase, if the game is an RPG with "Xeno" in it by Monolithsoft:
I expect a Tetsuya Takahashi design and story
I expect a Yasunori Mitsuda directed soundtrack
I expect Kunihiko Tanaka artwork

When any of these are missing, then it's taking away from what the game should be. In XCX, the big issue was the Mitsuda missing from the equation, in XC2 it is Kunihiko Tanaka. When all three people are involved, we get the best Xeno product.

I am not saying I'll dislike XC2 as a result, I'll probably like it (I liked Xenosaga Episode 3, and all three were missing, but the staff involved made an effort to mimic all three), but I would like it more if the character art style was correct.

The artstyle is correct though as that's what they wanted for this game just because you think certain stipulations should be there it doesn't mean that they are what should define a series as that's what the Zelda fans were like until Nintendo stopped paying them much attention because it was holding the series back.

Yep, they've mentioned the existence of more Titans and varied landscapes. It's a Xenoblade game after all, if that's not the case it'd be pretty underwhelming.

https://mynintendonews.com/2017/06/15/tetsuya-takahashi-shares-a-message-about-xenoblade-chronicles-2-with-the-fans/

“A young adult story with a taste of boy-meets-girl. Lately it feels like all I’ve been doing are games full of devastation, like where your hometown burns down at the start, or the spaceship you’re riding crashes(oh wait, that is all I ever do). Sometimes I just wanna try something different!

I want to make something that people can look back on fondly one day as something that really shaped their lives. Something like what I loved as a boy, like Oliver! (by Carol Reed) and Galaxy Express 999 (by Rintaro). — That’s why I started working on this game.
I’ll leave the stories about the solemn old men and hot stylish guys to someone else(even though there’s way more demand for that stuff), and go ahead with this.

That’s what was on my mind around the end of 2014 through early 2015.
Yeah, we started while Xenoblade X was still in development. We’re building a whole new ‘Xenoblade’ title using the foundation laid by X. That’s the core of the project.

Some people think exploration is what games should be all about, while some are like “no no, story is what’s best.” Well we’ve got something perfect for both of those kinds of people: Xenoblade 2. And that’s what I wanted to tell you with my first announcement. Sound cool?

There are still a ton of surprises left, of course. I’ll be revealing little bits of information and riling everyone up all the way until release. And that was my June of 2017. (Wait, will we even meet the release deadline?!)

Tetsuya Takahashi 

It's looking great, i'm glad it's a sequel to XBC and not XBCX.

I called Pyra a bimbo because of her ditzy little run animation and, from what I've seen, she seems brainless.  You're dead wrong on this sexist tangent.

It's not a sequel to either game. It's an original story.

In addition, XCX is the one that set up the potential for a much more interesting sequel, and will likely get one. XC's story is done.

But it's based on what we've seen so far, which is accurate

Not even really bothered by the graphics, I'm still excited to play this after the installment on WiiU.

And this is what I essentially expected, rings or accessories completely removing one of my favorite things from the blade series, armor customization. To have my character look the way I want them to look.