That's always an unfortunate stance to read.
Comparisons would be as inevitable as they would be unfavorable sure as was the nature of reviews that any text based game went through for a time. However, expectations would be different and they would be tapered.
TiTS carried a lot of heat for years both early into launch and now. However, the nature of said complaints were mostly different. I know this because somebody made a similar complaint that 'not being CoC1 was a major complaint TiTS had and it carried the same complaints as CoC2...
And I went on to check the validity of that statement over by viewing over 400 pages of forum discussion.
TiTS doesn't get (many) complaints about not being CoC1, adjacent, or a sequel to. But then again it never said it was going to be.
Not even when it was still just a dream and a crowdfunding campaign on offbeatr.
Ironically it still provided many of the things you would want sans corruption. Given it's robust TF system and general relationship dynamics outside of the Savin characters.
CoC2 however advertised itself as quite literally a
true sequel
And to make sure it's known this isn't out of context: Here's your first (official) public announcement.
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Except CoC2 is no more a sequel of CoC1 than the Witcher: Blood Origin is a prequel to the Witcher.
Or I guess Rings of Power is a more apt comparison as that one was verifiably a hit. So was Velma now that I think on it.
Anyways the major point being that when you call yourself a direct/true sequel you are opening up a hell of a lot of comparisons that are going to be unavoidable. Explaining how this game falls short of the expectations one would have of a sequel goes beyond the scope of this post.
Though a small tangent
Boy did that end up not being true. Ha.