If you can look past its flaws, there's a good time to be had with Breath of Fire II.
The story supposedly takes place several hundred years after the first game. A young man named Ryu, who bears a striking resemblance to the hero of the original, has his sequestered life suddenly ripped from him--his father and sister disappear and the people of his hometown no longer recognize him. Thus, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery which ultimately leads him to his heroic destiny. As you can imagine, he'll be joined by an endearing cast of characters. The Breath of Fire series have always shot for some wildly imaginative animal-hybrid type warriors and fellows, and that set it apart from the other boys back in the day; with the exception of the Shining Force games that used the same concepts.
The game conducts itself similar to the original with some interesting new elements. You have the opportunity of developing your own town and, throughout the course of your journey, you can find people who specialize in particular trades (i.e. doctor, item shop, innkeeper, and the like) to move in and settle down. Certain party members can also fuse together via shamans (whom you'll encounter later in the game) and take on more powerful forms, making for some interesting battle strategies. It's always fun to try out different combinations, and each form has their own unique savor-faire when placed in a combat situation.
The story is quite compelling once you play all the way through, but it is undermined by a terrible localization effort. No doubt it was translated explicitly from its Japanese source material, leaving one to wonder if Capcom USA rushed it during production without taking the time to make some necessary edits. That said, it's difficult to take any of these characters seriously because much of the dialogue is either non-sensical, confused in its dialect or just plain gramatically broken. (Even Jean's attempt at speaking French, if you can call it that, fails miserably.) Also, sometimes the game offers little direction as to what to do next at certain areas. You're often left wandering in circles because villagers who offer information are vague in their specificity at times, frustrating your progress and leaving your only hope within an online strategy guide for guidance.
I like the music in the game. Speaking on behalf of the great score in the original, Breath of Fire II's soundtrack doesn't disappoint. It's quite engaging, and there are a few tunes that stand out, especially the theme of Windia.
Overall, Breath of Fire II offers an endearing adventure peppered with interesting elements that keep it fresh and unique. It is also quite challenging, more so than the first game, so you'd do well to keep busy and strengthen your resolve in addition to your party members. Although a lurid translation hurts the experience somewhat, it isn't enough to fully deter enjoyment and you'll be quite entertained for the numerous hours spent unraveling the origins of a young Dragon Hero in training. If you loved the first game, there's certainly nothing wrong with giving Breath of Fire II a shot.