Yes, that's the first thing that catches the eye!
They probably wanted to make it better, with more spells and more tactical decisions, but it turned out the other way around. And the spells are a complete mess (in my opinion).
Example of variety:
Magic Theft - when a spell is cast, the target loses magic, which is transferred to the caster (demon effect)
Energy Theft - spells cost twice as much
Magic Shackles - the target takes damage for casting spells
