You're dead to me.![]()
The whole second disc is a bit of a let down. From a writing perspective, it's terrible. WK mentions Tifa's poor justification for not telling Cloud the truth and the rather dubious logic of attacking Shinra when they're trying to stop Meteor. But there's also the fight with Hojo, who's never very established as a really hate-worthy villain despite being a great candidate for it.
Gameplay-wise, the second disc just isn't as fun. You're not really exploring any more or going to many new areas. And I never have much fun during the first part of the second disc when you're just stuck in the snowy mountains. Though later in the second disc I do enjoy having Cid as my party leader and watching him run.
It doesn't help that disc 1 is (generally) fantastic, so the contrast is all the more apparent. I do agree with WK that the detour to Cosmo Canyon is a bit annoying as it's crammed between two rather serious and dramatic moments in the plot; at that point I am eager to get to Nibelheim and Rocket Town, and while Red XIII is a cool character, the whole side story there doesn't really add much to the game. But otherwise, it's very enjoyable.