I really enjoyed FF2's unique leveling system -- where most early JRPGs level up stats via weighted randomness, FF2 levels up stats via skill usage. If you use magic a lot, your characters will level up their magic stats. If you get hit a lot, your characters will level up their HP and Stamina. If you use a lot of physical attacks, Strength and weapon skills will level up. I've heard mixed things about this leveling system from the original, but I didn't have any problem with it in the Pixel Remaster -- no grinding required.

The remade music is excellent (especially the last dungeon's background music), and seeing the evolution of the series from FF1 is fascinating. The story is more fleshed out, the characters have more personality, and the systems have been overhauled from the first game. I played this right after the FF1 Pixel Remaster, and I enjoyed the experience.

I played this game on the Steam Deck OLED and had >5 hour battery life at 60FPS with no performance problems.