I didn't notice any improvement.
Well...
This 2nd version of Swords and Sandals is better in some ways, but worst in other ways.
Now we got ranged weapons, spells, random events and duels, and we can now save our progress. Ok, that's cool.
BUT the game is even harder than the first one. I got a battle against a ranged enemy and even though I had good armor and a nice weapon, I couldn't even get near him. I lost gold due to this and I need gold to get new equipment to beat such opponents.
I got a random event in which I gained 3 charisma, cool, but later I had to choose between braving the streets or paying 250 for an inn - insane price in my opinion. I chose to brave the streets so I could save some money, thinking that the only risk I had was losing a bit more than the inn price - and I lost it all!
If you're gonna make a 2nd version of a game you already made, IMPROVE it. It's still a nice game, but the improvements you made are balanced with the disadvantages you've given compared to the first game.