There's always room for improvement in any franchise, if they had made Dark Souls 2 with the same graphics, same mechanics, same animations, then people would complain about it. They would say that Dark Souls 2 added nothing new to the series and it would look more like a cash grab on the success of the previous game (Battlefield Hardline anyone?). I honestly don't see how they could have continued the story from the first game, I like that 1 and 2 have their own stories. It makes it easier for newcomers to the series and there are still a few nods in there for the veterans. The story may not have been as memorable as the first, but its good DS2 had its own self-contained story. Plus it fits with Knight Solaire's speech about all the different worlds interacting with each other. A different world, a different time.