Yes ... and no. The older, original Vlad scene was short, crude & repetitive in terms of animation. Judging by the animation style I would have to say that it was probably the oldest one, which makes sense chronologically.
Same thing with doggy style which (despite having two parts) was also getting repetitive & did not have as many details. On the other hand, 0.9.6 is far more detailed & comes with several different angles and clothing options but it lacks (what you described as) "soul". It actually looks as if it came from some hentai cartoon and not Amity Park.
That being said, I absolutely agree on self confidence & "attitude" issue, I was even the one who brought it up in the first place. Having as much doubts, worries & second thoughts now resembles something from real-life and not fictional cartoon character. So in the end it's kinda balanced ... there are many reasons why you shouldn't like the new version, but at the same time 0.9.6 does have a lot to offer so it all comes down to personal taste.
Edit
Exactly, yes!