Basically, you can initiate a conversation with certain demons and, if you answer the two preliminary questions correctly, can then have a chance to solicit something from the demon. You can ask for Macca (the game's currency), items, or for the demon's aid. However, in the latter case, the demon will want some things in exchange (no one works for free I suppose).

The alignment system I mentioned in the previous section comes into play here. You start the game as Neutral and can align yourself with Law (favoring a world where peace is enforced by angelic mandate and the will of God) or Chaos (favoring a return to the primal, primitive origins of the planet and where freedom exists at the cost of peace). Of course, you could always remain Neutral for the whole game, although that is the hardest path to follow (as a human, you must conquer both angels and demons to ensure humanity's survival).

What all of the above means in game terms is two things:

Demons that are of your alignment are easier to recruit. They tend to ask for less things when you're negotiating with them and they have a higher chance of complying with your recruitment request.

Conversely, demons of the opposing alignment are harder to recruit. Unlike the earliest iterations of the SMT franchise, it is possible to recruit opposing alignment demons.

Demons that are of your alignment can assist you in a Co-Op attack.

Much like a fair amount of the SMT games, Strange Journey's turn-based battle system has a gimmick. In this case, the gimmick is the Demon Co-Op system. Whenever the main character or a demon ally connects on an opposing demon's weakness (such as using a fire spell on an ice demon), everyone else in the party with the same alignment as the skill user gets an attack in for free. Granted, it's not as cool as the Press Turn system introduced in Nocturne, but it gets the job done in tough boss fights. Learn to use it and love it!

Bosses in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey require a lot more strategy than your average RPG. Overleveling will only get you so far. There will come a point in the game where you'll have to start abusing stat reducing moves, Co-Op attacks and elemental weaknesses just to stay afloat. However, in my humble opinion, that's when the game shines. It feels good to beat a boss after finally figuring out the winning strategy. It's a charm that has slowly died out in most RPGs of recent years.