Metahodos

Yep, that’s pretty much spot on.

Tonally and thematically VP1 and CotP are very similar and much closer to each other than they are to VP2, although the structures of their storylines differ quite a bit.

You don’t need to play on Hard to get Ending A. Normal works just as well.

There is some content locked behind Hard, most notably, the most devilish dungeons and bosses the game has to offer outside of the Seraphic Gate.

Edit: if you liked VP1, I very much recommend Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume. It’s a very underrated game that hits many of the same highs, oftentimes even better.