First off, we have six new character classes, with only the Knight and Cleric carried over from previous titles. In most fantasy worlds, these races are associated with the darker side of things, but here they're mostly just misunderstood. The classes seem quite unique at first, but soon you realize that the Dark Elf is just an Archer with a few new spells, the Necromancer is identical to the old Wizard class, Trolls are Knights with more hit points and less armor, etc. Only the Dragon is actually new. But, unfortunately, Dragons are much too powerful, and you can't start with one.
New spells are minimal at best.
Since the skills and spells are the same, the new classes don't really feel unique after you get over the novelty. One huge new twist is that you create only one character at the beginning. You're all alone, but not for long. Once you hire someone, you gain full control of the character. These mercenaries are quite spread out all over the world, so it may be a while before you can gather your ideal party.