Absolutely phenomenal first update! I loved "the hunt" specifically, as well as the cinematography. I think this might be one of, if not the most powerful first updates out there—maybe even ranking above Eternum. However, there are a few notes I'd like to share:
SPOILER WARNING!!!
First, the color theory lagged a bit behind the rest of the visual quality. The HoneySelect models are high quality, and both the animation and cinematography were wonderful (those camera angles were actually perfect, film grade. They showed what the characters were feeling better than the writing at times), but the colors lacked emotional strength for a large portion of the update. During the final segment, I think it would have benefited from a more restricted color palette with fewer secondary or tertiary colors. Relying on a few primary colors—or even subtractive colors to symbolize things being removed from his understanding—could have better conveyed the confusion the main character was experiencing.
This ties into a larger point regarding lighting. While it was fantastic as far as the actual renders go, it lacked the emotional depth that the narrative was trying to convey. Otherwise, I think this might feature the best renders of any game I've ever played—by far surpassing every single AAA game.
Second, regrettably, I felt the writing fell behind significantly. The actual dialogue was good; it was effective, fun, playful, and felt realistic relative to the characters. However, the plot felt a bit strained at times, leaving very little groundwork for the future. For instance, the moment at the end where he is begging the demon for his life felt way out of character. It’s understandable to be terrified, but he seems to flip-flop between being a seasoned pro like Leon Kennedy and just a normal guy. The entire setting and buildup require him to be a "Leon Kennedy" type, so when he isn't, he just kind of... falls short.
This guy has been doing this for nearly a decade, yet he doesn't immediately think his house is haunted when a single light is on—despite the house not having power? He doesn't even consider the idea that the ghost or demon was playing with his mind while he was at Daphne's house, even though he doesn't remember getting ready or arriving there?
Additionally, making the entity he's hunting a demon, rather than playing with the idea that it was just a ghost far above the reported level, was an interesting pivot (though I do like the twist of him being a ghost at the end). It just feels like the universe has less room to expand in future updates now that we've already jumped to demons without giving ghosts time to breathe. Finally, some of the dialogue tried to accomplish too many things at once, leaving the characters stretched thin. You have all the time in the world to flesh these characters out, but it felt like you tried to rush it all into a single update.
The demon switching from innocent to sorrowful to sadistic to sarcastic felt a bit unusual, if this was on purpose it might be more effective to really lean into these sharp divides rather than having them all blend together.
Again, I can't stress this enough: this is easily one of the best first updates to any AVN I've ever seen, definitely top 5. Please, stick with it! The community is going to go feral for this. Keeping a consistent schedule—whether you post semi-regularly like Caribdis or opt for weekly updates (which require a lot of consistent work but keep the community calmer)—will really help.
Fantastic start, and I'm highly looking forward to the future!