For what my antiquated opinion is worth...
Nightforce scope are of the absolute top quality. If my job was to head into the unknown to be shot at, and kill people, it would be one of my top three choices. I have never done that, so take with with salt. S&B, and Vortex Razor's are up there too. Maybe TT and Leupold too.
NF has played on marketing, no question, and they deserve to.
As for illumination, 20 years ago, I thought it was super cool. In reality, what it is is another failure point in your system. It doesn't "immuminate Sh!t"... it increases contrast between your reticle an your target, somewhat. At the end of the day, if you're looking to plant a slug in the chest of a target, as a professional who does things unsaid, it might add 3 minutes of usability per day, morning + night. If you are hunting whitetail, like I am, stop being a poser.
The illumination means that you have to worry about battery life, temperature, and battery corrosion, in exchange for maybe 2 minutes of advantage at sunrise and sunset.
Once I found an illuminated reticle to be of advantage. I mounted a 1-6 vortex razor on a .375 H&H for a somewhat dangerous game hunt. At the time, it seemed obscure, but it made sense to me, and since then, many other have done the same. I found that that the illuminated red reticle basically turned the 1-6 scope into a red dot, should a sudden close quarters shot present itself. At the end of the day, I took my harvest at 215 yards, with the scope at 6x, and the illumination meant f-all.
Bottom line, don't let illumination influence your decision. Learn to shoot good, and carry on.
SRS