Ok, this game rocks. The original was and still is one of the most enveloping story-driven games I've played. I had high hopes for this one and it lives up to them.
There are a few changes I don't care for, but overall it's great. It's a very rare thing for me to spend $50 on a game but I got this 2 hours after release and don't regret it a bit. And what do you know? (I'm talking to *you*, Bethesda!) It works perfectly right out of the box.
Highly recommended.