The world is not as peaceful as it should be considering how much the hero's of World Regeneration went through.
First off, the positives. ToS 2 is much better looking, animations are more natural, and voice work is better than ever. I was in awe when I popped in the disc and got started. No more continually reused animations trying to express emotions that they just couldn't.
The upgrades to the battle system are also a welcomed change. Being able to run around your foes add a great addition to the battle system. Also Emil's fighting style is a lot more fluid than Lloyd's was.
Now, the bad. What were they thinking with no world map? That there reduced both game length and game play. The monster capture system was too Pokemonish. If they could have added equipment to the monsters, that would help.
The story also was really bland. Not nearly ToS1 quality. I predicted almost every story plot that came. ToS1 put in enough twists to keep you engaged.
For the flaws, they made improvements. I really is more a "You want more Tales of Symphoina? Well here ya go!". It's what you get when you get pressured by your fans for more and don't try enough.