I think it's better, yeah, 'cause my memory of New Order was that it was way too bogged down by story. The pacing just felt way off, like you'd play for 5 minutes and then have to meander around for 10 and watch another 5 cutscenes. This just felt like a straight-up shooter with a good framing narrative that doesn't get in the way.

When you're actually playing the game though I'm pretty sure they're mostly identical.