i really enjoyed playing this game, but when compared to the first game, i find it quite difficult to rank. the story this time around was a bit weaker and yet had grabbed my attention more than the first game did. characters from the first game appear again in this game and the new additions to the cast were almost all a delight to have around - except for more villainous characters, of course. the protagonists especially were really great and the timeline was rather easy to follow, until a certain point in the game. i even prefere the soundtrack of this game over the first game, certain somnium themes really standing out to me.
and yet, i struggle with making my mind up about this game. the ending didn't hit me as hard as the first game did, since i was expecting it already. certain plot points were rather silly and didn't lead to anything. the somniums in this game were weaker than in the first one, but the addition of free psynch was rather nice. the side content was a delight as well, the outfits were funny to spice up scenes you were replaying and i especially adore that they turned the first class cabin from 999 into a somnium, even if it's just optional content. while the main ending was rather lacking in my opinion, the secret ending was really great.