I gave the update a try despite criticism against it. Here are the changes I noted, with good changes listed first, then subjective changes, then bad changes. A list of "wasted opportunities" follows these 3 lists.
Good Changes:
++ 1) The microwave can now be used repeatedly to move Maddie away from areas. This was previously a problem since in the last build I played you can only use it to move her once.
++ 2) Camera angles are further back which gives more space between characters when they coincide in one location.
Subjective Changes:
~~ 1) I liked the previous menu screen with the table and television better.
~~ 2) The intro and end cinematics give the game more closure but feel meaningless since they don't reveal enough.
~~ 3) You get phone messages granted to you in 4 of the 5 levels. (See Wasted Opportunity 1)
~~ 4) The sanity-restoring plush in your office needs 7 interactions to regenerate a half-unit of sanity instead of the previous 4. This is a boost to previous difficulty.
Bad Changes:
-- 1) Level select has been replaced with a cold pair of "Begin" and "Continue" buttons. You have to begin the game all over to go back to earlier levels, which is not good design.
-- 2) The grass growing in the halls feels cheap and tacky. (See Wasted Opportunity 2)
Wasted Opportunities:
---- 1) It's incredible how wasted the phone messages are. They don't seem to describe much at all and are frankly annoying. The previous menu screen that featured VHS cassettes gave a valid opportunity to find information and art through this media but this opportunity was lost too.
---- 2) The growing grass in the halls is part of the developer's world story. The inclusion would be better if the grass felt like it was actually breaking into the facility, but instead feels carelessly dropped into the scenery. A simple addition of broken tiles and bulging, protruding earth in the plant static meshes of the environment will make their inclusion more immersive and welcome. More significant changes could include room model replacements like thick roots breaking the walls and floors while leaving deep gashes the camera can peer into that go beyond the intact walls' previous boundaries. The inclusion of vegetation would go from being considered a negative to a positive trait by fans if the art design made this element feel more realistic.
---- 3) Ari the green character in the maid costume is inactive compared to the other antagonists. Like Sammy she seems to influence objects but she doesn't attack and seems to stop moving frequently. Oddly enough she wields some kind of rifle yet poses no major threat.
Note: I may reuse this post in part of whole for a review. I'm posting it here first for discussion and to confirm or refine my review to be posted in the future.