So this is the one that really set the tone for the whole Megami Tensei series—before Persona, before all the fancy modern stuff. You're still dealing with demons and negotiation, but everything feels way more raw compared to later games. The first thing that hits you? That eerie synth soundtrack, straight out of an '80s cyberpunk nightmare.

It's got that classic dungeon crawl grind, but with a twist—you actually talk to monsters instead of just whacking them. Sometimes they join you, sometimes they demand your money or just laugh in your face. The fusion system’s here too, though way more brutal—no hand-holding, just trial and error until you figure out which demon combos don’t completely backfire.

Honestly, it’s janky by today’s standards, but there’s something weirdly charming about how unapologetically hardcore it is. If you’re into the roots of SMT, this is where things started getting interesting.