Overall I found it to be a downgrade from the first game. Story and atmosphere are where it shines but SMT1 does them better. Combat is still mostly brain dead, negotiation is dumbed down, and progression is either tedious backtracking or just too obtuse. Perhaps my biggest complaint is the game is too long. An issue in their other SNES offerings. They wring out so much game time with so little unique assets. It feels like it doesn't know when to end. I'd have preferred a shorter, tighter experience.