The judgement ring doesn’t change over time like the additions did, so that it makes it a little easier to get used to.
Personally, I thought SHC was pretty weak compared to the original (and I’ve never played Koudelka, so I can’t comment on that). It was way too long, they changed Yuri from a total badass to a whiny bitch, they lost the dark atmosphere of the first game, and they failed to get a villain anywhere as cool as Roger Bacon.