I really like the early parts of DQ2. Going on a journey, just hanging out and fighting monsters, exploring dungeons and figuring out where to go next. It was great to get owned, get a new party member, and then go back to those encounters with my new buddy and wipe the floor with them.
As soon as I got the ship, the map suddenly exploded in size, but it took as long to get anywhere as it already did, and how to progress became completely unclear to me. It felt like the game lost the subtle guidance that made the earlygame so engaging, which was frustrating for me.
I had really low expectations going into the lategame, but it actually went really quickly, or felt like it did. For that last hour, I felt like it was my journey again - going through an exciting lair, tackling a string of well-paced bosses. I felt really happy with the conclusion but wish I had had as much fun in the 19 hours before then.
Overall, feel less fond of DQ2 than DQ1 - a majority of my playtime was spent not having fun - but I really liked the beginning and end of it.