[quote name='Hell Monkey']I got about 9 hours in before my head exploded (I though I was cool and wasn't using the guide). The game is absolutely brutal if you get lost in a dungeon.[/QUOTE]
How were you getting lost? The maps in the game are ridiculously straightforward. Plus, the game is not nearly as difficult as, say, Etrian Odyssey. Grinding, at least, is much easier (and more boring, sadly).
Note that I've been ignoring the Labyrinth as much as possible; I don't know if that's what you were referring to, specifically
One of the most annoying things I'm finding about Nocturne is that the monsters in your party level slower than you do. I want to keep beefing up the cooler-looking demons, but instead feel like I'm forced to constantly keep getting new ones. I've never had to do this in other games with recruitable monsters.
Overall, Nocturne
is decently hard, and has some neat ideas, but otherwise I really don't see the big deal about it. *braces self for backlash*
(Still plan on beating it, though...)