I straight up loved the entire vibe of this game. Surreal, pseudo Tokyo turned literally inside out and upside down. Kaneko's uncanny valley human characters, the demon dialogue and interactions cracking me up. Battle music that keeps you grooving throughout, 'Fierce Battle', the boss themes, especially the jazzy map themes.

While streaming this game, I followed a guide to stay on the True Demon ending path. I knew a replay wouldn't be likely, so I wanted to see everything I could. I don't regret it, although I had general pointers on where to go/what to do next, I gave myself the freedom to tackle enemies in my own way. The pure satisfaction of killing Lucifer at the end of it all...an unforgettable experience.

Nocturne's combat kept me engaged all the way through. The strategizing, evaluating whose turns are next, how it will affect the outcome, I had so much fun with it. The fabled brutal difficulty was not overstated, for sure, but I found it manageable. Was that mitigated a bit by following a guide? Sure, but not enough to remove the overall sense of accomplishment.

I'm excited to play 4 when I have the time.