The combat in this game is the best in the series. It's really, really solid and customizable, leaving you with tons of options. The soundtrack is also great, most likely my favorite video game soundtrack of all time. The story and characters are a giant step back from the first. Sloppy, anime-troupe ridden writing, as well as being weirdly horny. If you can ignore the main story in a jrpg and just play it for the combat I recommend it, otherwise skip it.