Edict on Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World for Wii?

The original Tales of Symphonia for gamcube is my all time favorite game and I have played through it 4 or 5 times. However the reviews for ToS 2 have not been that great. It is also lacking in things like an overworld. I am wondering if fans of the original would enjoy it. Also do the old characters have the same techs as before, and how many of them are playable? Thanks.