This is without a doubt my favorite of the series so far. Even without the eight directional whipping, it still feels snappier and more fluid to control. Its not nearly as stiff as IV. The only boss I didn't like this time around was the silhouette demon, all the others were either really good or just fine. I actually really liked the Dracula fight this time. I really enjoyed the level aesthetics this time around. I liked the more varied locales than usual. I beat the game with the whip and thought it was really fun but I also played a bit with the spear and I thought it felt even better. The music fucks as always. I had a really great time with this game.