I prefer all the different places to explore, the way you can customize your team with so many different demons and your own strengths and weaknesses. Especially changing the strengths and weaknesses on fly depending on what boss your about to meet. I also love the Amala network. One thing I will give to Digital Devil Saga however is the music, it's great in Nocturne, but DDS just has something more to the music. Also Heat. Heat, one of your team mates is voiced by Crispin Freeman and... I will stop myself before going on a rant. He is one of the very few living real people I admit to fangirling about. Almost any character he voices I find them being my favorite in a game/anime. (coincidence I do think but.. He did voice Albel Nox.)
What are some of your favorite games? Oh! and I've never gotten to play Tales of the Abyss, I love Tales of Phantasia though, like absolutely love it. (If not for it being an awesome game, then for it being the reason that Tri-Ace formed, and my other super favorite series Star Ocean started..)