Yes its very true, compared to the original Divine Divinty, this game is not as good (but then again few games are) but if i stop comparing it to the original Divine Divinity...the game is excellent.
I agree with all the negative points mentioned in these forums and i could come up with quite a few of my own but i think i'll better mention the good points because everybody seems to ignore them:
First thing that comes to mind is the music, its made by the same composer and its absolutely great, id say better than in the original.
The game is a lot of fun to play (if you quit comparing it constantly to DD that is), offers more than most of the games of its kind, i like the dialogues a lot, story is intriguing at points, its challenging, varied, great graphics that are of a very high artistic level.
My point is despite this game didnt impress me as much as the original did, i dont regret buying it for a second, its a great game in its own right and it seems the game keeps getting better as i play it.