Not just probably, it was just the better game.
This is coming from a huge SS2 fanboy who loves the sound design and exploration in SS2. But in the long view, looking back, SS2 is just kinda half-baked. The story was cobbled together, considering they only made it Shock 2 because the publisher insisted. (It was going to be about the Many originally, not featuring Shodan)
The game is very linear, especially compared to SS1, the respawning, while adding tension, can feel tedious, the gunplay is very poor at best, the game balance is all over the place, the quality of the voice acting ranges from excellent to cringe-worthy and the end-game is pretty terrible, with one of the least satisfying endings in gaming history.
I still love it, though, but it's something to remember.