Seems easier compared to last time I played.
Character control would be better, but there seems to be an issue where you will throw out one extra attack/input after you've stopped pressing the button, so it can get pretty frustrating.
I know not everyone was big fan of mashing out of H attacks before, but they're pretty pointless now. Every once in a while the directional minigame will get you, but only if you're not paying any attention. And even if you do mess it up, you mash out of the animations super fast now. So, for me, that's disappointing.
Feels a lot more like a game now though. Proper level flow and a staging area and so on. The upgrade system isn't fully implemented yet, but it seems like a good idea.