I'm going to bite the bullet and give you a slightly more negative review, simply for the sake of diversity of opinion. Disclaimer: I quite like White 2 in particular, and like Unova more than I once did. I acknowledge my negative bias and will strive to be constructive in giving a less positive evaluation. Johto, however, is brilliant, an assessment which comes primarily from nostalgia.
You really didn't miss all that much, in my opinion. The thing about Unova is that it feels, in many ways, less lively, in my opinion - it attempts to be modern and contemporary to an extreme, and aesthetic that I found out of place within the franchise. This, however, also bleeds into the characters and plot of the games, which is probably a lot more important than how a few cities and locations look, right?
The Unova generation tries harder than any other to be deep, to carry some sort of significant message; a lot of the relevant philosophical dialogue is delivered through the catalytic signature character of the generation, N, in the first two games, and the message extends to the sequels (side note: despite B2W2 being sequels, they can be played independently of BW). The main question seems to be: what is a human's relationship with a Pokemon, and to what end are they tools or companions?
The problem that a lot of people have with this - not everyone, but certainly a sizeable portion of the fandom - is that at times the game can be preachy or overbearing, and tries harder than it needs to in order to be more plot-driven than generations before it. Some people really, really like it, and I gather that it's for the sake of it actually even trying to have a plot, since some other generations are bare-bones at best. Some people actually quite like the plot, and disagree with me entirely, and that's fine. However, just know that not everyone agrees that its story is the best thing we had pre-2016. It's not a very black and white debate, if you'll excuse the pun.
To compare it to other regions, Kanto and Johto didn't really have much of a plot, but that worked for them - the simplicity and minimalism still made sense, and there was at least a little conflict. Team Plasma actually seems like an overwritten Team Rocket sometimes, with similar practices and goals and bosses. Hoenn had a decent amount of plot, I thought, and took it up to eleven in Gen 6 with the inclusion of deeper lore and the Delta Episode. Sinnoh is where things started to get more serious and more plot driven, and Unova expanded on that, but took it a tad further than I would have liked. Kalos... well, it had a plot, but... well, we all know about Team Flare and Lysandre by now. And to conclude the comparisons section, I'm one of those people who really loved Sun and Moon for their story.
The other major thing to consider in a more critical analysis of the generation is, of course, the Pokedex. The species introduced in the fifth generation are, collectively, more controversial within the fandom than those of any other; some are quite widely panned, like Garbodor; others are rather well liked, like Braviary or Solosis. Many just fall into an odd middle ground, with plenty of people who love them and plenty who really, really don't. I personally wasn't a fan of the generation at all - while it had a few species that I absolutely loved, chief among them Volcarona, it had a ton that I absolutely hated and would never use. When I finally decided to do a Unova-species-only run of White 2, it was honestly quite difficult to create a well-balanced team with six different fully evolved species I actually liked. Some regions, particularly Kalos, made this incredibly easy for me and had countless selections I loved; Unova has a hard time keeping up with most of the other regions in this regard, and might actually fall behind all of the rest.
What I will say is that, while I honestly have no motivation to ever play Black or White again, Black 2 and White 2 are games that are really, really good, and worthy of the series. I would play them, at least, if I were you. They expand the Unova region and introduce some really cool characters and locations, and their plot seems to me less contrived. All four games have a seasons mechanic, which I adore simply for having a chance to play a Pokemon game in the Fall in-game. N, while preachy and a little much, has a phenomenal amount of characerization for this series, and is right up there with Cynthia as one of the most impressive characters in the franchise. Unova was a generation I honestly didn't like all that much in the end, compared to others - but I still think every main series game is worth playing if you get a chance, these included. I guess in the end I'm not being all that negative, am I?
If you choose to pick up a copy I hope you enjoy it!
