Its what Nocturne's gameplay could've been
it isn't as frustrating but still provides a decent challenge
the new skill system is interesting and keeping all your characters on you really makes the story tighter, speaking of which the story on this one is front and center which is unusual for an SMT game, but impressively the voice acting and cutscene direction is solid
the music is some of Shoji Meguro's best and the design for the characters isKazuma Kaneko at his most experimental I feel which is a wild thing to see.
Dungeon crawling is also non-linear but not frustrating

Overall the game is fantastic, but it suffers in a few areas. This game is a duology, and this game suffers from a lack of a strong story, because it is setting everything up for the sequel. The story with both of them in mind is great, but it is boring as a single game. Also, if you want to do the extra end game content such as the super bosses, not even including demi-fiend, still takes hours to grind. I think I spent more time at the end game grinding for all of the skills and bosses, than I did playing the rest of the game.

After having played Nocturne and absolutely enjoying the 108 hour ride, I figured it was about time I jumped into DDS. Unlike Persona 5 or Nocturne, I had no idea what I would be getting myself into when playing DDS. I know it still follows the same press turn mechanics that Nocturne created, but that was about it. I really felt like I was jumping into unknown territory which was exciting.

From the get-go I'm already seeing elaborate cutscenes, voice acting, very muted colors, a very chill rock OST, and depressing and cold looking architecture. I'm already digging the overall production of this game. The mood alone from this game resonates a lot of comfort. I don't know what's going on at the moment, but I enjoy just being able to explore my base, talk with my fellow squad, and do some light exploration.

After some events happen, the game immediately starts to kick off and as well as my disposition for the game. It had a very promising beginning but everything leading up to the end felt very dull. Not like Persona 3 dull where I found myself absolutely dreading every moment of the game, but more like I wanted to continue on and see how the story progresses but the combat and dungeon exploration felt very mild and uninteresting. The dungeons are probably the most problematic aspect of the game. While they are definitely well crafted from an artistic standpoint and are VERY memorable, the overall crawling aspect with random encounters just felt like a chore.

The gameplay is a unique take that I've seen from a JRPG. You are essentially not a demon summoner, but your own demon. However, its not guaranteed you'll spawn as a demon in battle automatically as you will be caught off guard from random encounters here and there, but there really isn't any sense of urgency to change as your human forms are pretty resilient for the most part. Its more of a nuisance having to spend a turn changing into a demon just to inflict some damage as shooting with your guns, no matter how strong the bullet is, does not do any significant damage. I actually like this concept and hope Atlus can return to it someday as there's much more potential to be made from this for sure. Also, you have the mantra grid which is how you acquire abilities. Whilst the design is not inherently bad or faulty, it is a slog to get through especially when you farm for atma points that are in itself hard to get as well. Really try to focus on unlocking an entire section for your respective party member's mantra grid as it will DEFINITELY make end game battles and bosses more doable as the endgame boss is admittedly one of the most infuriating bosses I've encountered. They're not hard, but they sure have a ridiculous mechanic that rely on elemental attacks that unless you have almighty attacks for all party members will make the battle a lot more annoying than it needs to be.

The music for this game is absolutely one of Shoji Meguro's finest works. I could see why the DDS games were his favorite to work on. A lot of my favorite MegaTen OSTs so far come from the DDS series. This game's OST alone is filled with a pleasant variety of rock music ranging from a '60s/'70s inspired rock/jazz variety to a more '90s grunge vibe. Funnily enough you also hear some of his Nocturne and Persona licks in the game if you closely pay attention. They don't mean anything but they are nice little Easter eggs to catch. Although since the game is heavily inspired by South East Asian religion and folklore, I feel like there was a missed opportunity of some fusion of SWANA (South West Asian North African)/SEA (South East Asian) music with rock. Check out Tigran Hamasyan by the way if you wanna know what SWANA rock/jazz music sounds like. It's absolutely ass kicking.

Speaking of referencing SEA religions and folklore, this game does an incredible job at incorporating its philosophy, literature, and art style. I'm not too familiar with hinduism nor Buddhism, but I know enough to catch some references here and there and the rest I had to look up and its just such a cool approach for a video game to do, especially when it involves technology, it has a unique approach to SEA religion and folklore that rivals The Matrix (which funnily enough this game feels like if The Matrix were made into a JRPG by Atlus)

The story for this game is a slow grind, but its not a bad slow grind. Its important to look at this game as a set up for future events that take place in its sequel DDS2 rather than just a game that has its own story. I will confess however that the story for DDS1 felt underwhelming, but in the grand scheme of things it definitely adds to the payoff in DDS2.

Overall, I'd say this game is not bad, but not Atlus' best. Everything about the game is acceptable and tolerable at worst and fun and engaging at best. I think it's a game worth beating, or at least giving it a shot.

I'd recommend this to the following:
-An avid JRPG enjoyer
-Are new to JRPGs and want an easy going experience
-Enjoy seeing Buddhist/Hindi concepts in video games
-An avid cannibalism enthusiast /j

P.S. Do yourself a favor and select the first dialogue option for each game. Even if it conflicts with what you want to say. You'll thank yourself when you move onto DDS2 with your DDS1 save file. Also, wouldn't hurt to fight some optional side bosses as they will give you nice loot in DDS2 with your DDS1 save file. They are helpful in the beginning when confronted with elemental weaknesses, and also some of the optional side bosses are genuinely fun to fight... except for the NG+ boss... if you love yourself PLEASE for the love of god do not do it. Also, be sure to have at LEAST 1,000,000 Macca saved before you finish DDS1. You'll start DDS2 with a nice pocketful of Macca that while isn't necessary will make getting healing and support items much more easier for those tricky dungeons/boss battles.