Not a game on my radar, but I've mostly heard good things about it. May pick it up one day, or play it on PS+ if it comes there.

The game definitely isn't nier. How is it not like bayonetta or devil may cry. It has the boss fights, stylised moves,  same kinda music when fighting enemies or bosses. I think it's a fair comparison. They just added some mediocre side quests.

I played the demo, and it was fun. Agreed that I'm not paying full price. The highest I would pay is $50, which it has been on sale for sometimes on PSN and physical copies.

I'd really like to get it at $30-$40. 

LegitHyperbole isn't gonna be happy.

It's an ARPG. Skill tree. Open area segments. No style ranking. Side quests. Show me a level design in DMC or Bayo that relies on the older PS2 era where you unlock shortcuts. Side quests are not mediocre.  FF7 Remake side quests are mediocre. Or Xenoblade 1 side quests those are mediocre. SB is more explorative. The literal point of Bayo. Ninja Gaiden. DMC is maintaining a combo and increasing a style meter—karma in NG. Letter grades in DMC, D,C,B,A,S,SS,SSS. Bronze-Platinum in Bayo. Complex combos. Stellar Blade does not have complex combos much like Nier Automata doesn't. The combat has depth but it's not modeled after maintaining a combo. Stellar Blades's reliance on blocking and counter is closer to Sekiro in logic.

The thing with the demo is that is the tutorial area. It opens up after that to a hub city and 2 open regions to explore. Some areas are more linear like that. Others take away the sword and turn your drone into an arm cannon.

Two questions. Have you beaten Giigas, the third boss and have you kept the difficulty on normal?

DMC sucks, shit I know; controversial statement.

The demo is not representative of the game. The game only gets good a few hours in when it opens up. You start with nothing in the demo, not even the gun. By the end you're a flurry of death but that journey to get there is fun and only increases in fun the further you play.  

This. Tried DMC4 again and it is atrocious, DMC5 is good but it lacked all the points that the OP made here. The Reboot was the best but it's aesthetics are terrible and the tone is cringey.