>>712453779I think they do some things better, mostly on the graphical front, but the gameplay didn't get upgraded in 2 and design-wise it's at least as good. You get to actually explore the town meaningfully, and the part where you do it in the other world is hellishly tense with the noise and darkness and monkey men mounting you.
It has the best hospital level and the school is a better level than SH2's prison and SH3's office building (not their apartments and maybe subway tho). It always has the best boss in the school because it's a puzzle boss.
It's not as if it's really short or lacking in content compared to them. This is a case where the graphics go a looong way but only because Team Silent did such an incredible job with 2/3. I think a remake of SH could be worth looking at for that reason, I just don't think Bloober has good enough taste.