I honestly believe this game is better than the first. While I believe Symphonia 1's combat is better, the overall experience of Symphonia 2 is much better thanks to Emil and Marta. They're dynamic characters that grow and change over the course of the story in interesting ways and help each other grow for the better. That's way more than its predecessor had going for it. I really wish the fans didn't scorn this game as they do, because it's honestly great.