It
is fun, but that's also the only way I can think of to describe it.
Ubi did the same with Assassin's Creed; "simplify" gameplay a bit for smoother gameplay (ie. less retries) and continuously keep the story developing (regular cutscenes or messages to avoid the feeling of being "stuck" on something).
They are fun distractions, but personally I prefer a bit of a challenge. I don't regret buying Conviction or AC2, even at full price (though I'd suggest people wait for the first price drop if they have any doubts), but it's AC1 and the old SC games I will keep coming back to and just play them for the gameplay.
In short, bit of a case of "console-game".