Honestly, its the only one that I find fun to replay. The creature element adds enough minor differences, as do the different weapon types you can stick with each time. Not enough for constant, but every few years. Comparatively, Symphony is way too easy to break and Dawn of Sorrow is too heavy on the soul grind (didn't play the GBA one).

The rest are, as you said, are incredibly stiff to the point of being a completely different genre of game. Good in their own way, but a different itch.