>>147554PF2e is pretty well designed. Much better than D&D 5e, in my opinion. Not hard to play, and pretty well balanced. I really want to play more of it. I'm actually just about to join a Ponyfinder game in that edition.
I find that PF2e has a couple vague similarities to what was innovative about d&d 4e, except it's not full crappy pitfalls.
PF1e is similar to d&d 3.5e, improved in many ways and questionably changed in others. It's pretty fun.
I haven't played 2e, but I've read the rules. I like it better than 5e.
I've been aiming to play d&d 2e for a while just to get an authentic Dark Sun experience, although that's a quest that's been going on for years now... No other edition really represents Athas correctly, except maybe d&d 4e.
D&D 5e is my least favorite edition, tbh. I've spent a long time playing it and reading all of its books hoping I'd learn to like it, but that just had the opposite effect on me. It's just not my cup of tea, and I could go on for days about why I don't like it, but I don't feel like doing that now.
It is easy to get into though, which contributes to it's popularity. I think it's simplicity is highly overrated though, considering that nearly every 5e DM ends up writing half a book's worth of homebrew
and houserules just to make it enjoyable.
For D&D 4e, all I can really say is that an attempt was made. The edition flopped for reasons (primarily because it alienated 3.5e players and failed to create its own fanbase), but not for any lack of trying. I think some of its combat mechanics and abilities are actually pretty well designed. It's also very well balanced on a class by class level, with all classes being consistently good at what they do without overshadowing each other. However "balance" isn't always what people want out of an RPG.
I'd still gladly play a short game of it if I had the chance though.