After getting confused and annoyed in the beginning, I finally made myself go through it and it wasn't a waste...
Then a few years later I decided to try again (after all, it was my girlfriend's sister's favorite Suikoden, so how bad could it be) and again at first I had my fun and then I got to Muse and got intimidated again, but this time I didn't quit. I looked around a little and found my way and went on my merry way (I have this problem a lot). Though this is where, for me, the trouble started.
It's a good game, it has a good story, even though it is just too similar to the first, and nice animations and of course a very nice battle system. But I didn't like the story this time. Somehow even though it was very similar, the way everyone betrays everyone and everything, it just didn't catch on with me. I hate lying and going behind people's backs, so from pretty early in the game I already got frustrated by how stupid and closed-minded most of the characters were in this game, just as in real life. Even so I put myself to the task of going through it all the way, but once and never again.
Like I said, it has a good story, even though I hated it, it had most good elements and the fact that there is more then 1 side to it is also very good. Again all the characters in the game have their own little mini-stories and their friends and foes and such. It seems a lot harder to get them all here then in the original Suikoden since there I got them all in one try (but then again I was addicted to that game) and that does pose a challenge to all the real fans.
The sound isn't bad either, it has very nice sound effects for magic spells and such. Though the fact that something is wrong with the FMVs that makes the sound skip all the time, that's really bad. The music seems ok, I didn't really notice it much, which in any case means I didn't hate it. The clashing of swords and shields and the little wood sticks (Twin Fangs) that the main character uses is pretty nice as well (as are all the other weapons), though not remarkably distinctive from Suikoden 1 if I remember correctly.
Graphics are what they were to be expected of in those days in my opinion, though of course me playing it several years after it's release kind of blurs my vision in that respect. I like the old PlayStation/SNES-style graphics, but where most look fine this one excels at one thing. It has awesome animations.
It can really make a game more interesting for me if it has some surprising animations. And as you're playing this game you will probably get the feeling that for the most part, outside of battle, they're pretty stiff, just as all such games. But then from time to time (I make it sound rare, but really it isn't) they will move in ways that I had never expected. The sprites for this are excellently made. They do more then just go up, down, left and right, when they need to they go any way they have to, which to me seems special for this style.
Gameplay of course is pretty much the same as the first one. Though the battle scenes, to me, have worsened. I loved the rock-paper-scissors system from Suikoden and I hate pretty much all -Tactics titled games (mainly because I just suck at them). Given they are pretty easy and they are not all that bad and usually they don't even need you to actually beat your opponent. I've always left it up to apple and I made it fine.
The battles haven't changed much since Suikoden, they were cool then they are still cool now.
One major downside to me was that before big battles or bosses, there would always be a save point, but often not actually after the battle. You'd finish a battle or boss fight and then you'd have to play through another half dungeon just to get to a save point. Now with battles this isn't too big a loss, but with boss fights, especially the harder ones, you will be drained afterward and thus more easily killed by the simple enemies. And if you're like me you'll constantly forget to bring any healing items with you, so you'll get stressed out.
All in all I don't regret playing through it, and if you don't hate the story then this is a very good game. It seemed more challenging then the first in most respects and of course the mini-games that are still in here are pretty cool (though I've wasted no time on them).
If you like RPGs and you liked Suikoden, then I can definitely recommend this one to you too.