Despite the cartoony graphics and animations, a good game can be salvaged from this. Multiplayer functionality is more developed than in the previous title. Other than that, the small changes in game mechanics are up to personal preference. They made happiness/amenities local instead of a global modifier. There's more trade capacity and you can't build roads yourself (traders do it). Interaction with city states is less personal. Instead of different options, you can simply send envoys to them and gain benefits in a mechanical fashion. Governors is a nice addition.