After playing the JRPG Soul Hackers 2 for almost 16 hours, I am still immersed in the supernatural, neon world built by game developer Atlus. It’s a beautiful and delightful adventure with brave Demon Summoners and stylish demons to decrypt destiny and save the human world.
Soul Hackers 2 is the latest spin-off of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series, as well as the sequel to Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, which was released 25 years ago. The new game came to Steam on August 26th and debuted one day earlier for the console versions.
The game graphics in Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers and its sequel Soul Hackers 2
In previous titles, the style of the game art was mostly dark and gloomy, but Soul Hackers 2 seems to consciously apply bright, cyber, neon, and similar art styles, which becomes one of the most powerful features and creates a more exciting experience in this high-res version.
Besides the art style, due to the mediocrity of its turn-based combat system, this title is considered by some players as an average entry-level work for JRPGs. But as far as I see it, its powerful art and classic demon fusion gameplay, as well as the combination of the two, are still worthy of note.
“Collab” with the Persona series
Compared with the previous games, Soul Hackers 2 has a relatively independent and rich worldview. In the near-future world of the mid-21st century, the beyond-human intelligence Aion has been split into two agents: Ringo and Figue. To change the fate of a world that is collapsing, they use the supernatural ability of "soul hacking" to revive the other three protagonists, Arrow, Milady, and Saizo. These characters become Demon Summoners and set off to face adventure, challenging mystery to unveil the villainous Phantom Society.
The villain Iron Mask and four Demon Summoners, Saizo, Ringo, Milady and Arrow
At the same time, the relationship between humans, technology, and the Capitalist society, as a more profound theme, is woven into the plot.
Although the story is relatively independent, the characters of Soul Hackers 2 have a lot of "collaborations" with the Persona series. For example, Joker, one of the protagonists in Persona 5, has a black bird-like mask that is almost identical to the masks worn by Ringo and others in Soul Hackers 2.
Ringo and Saizo wear black bird-like masks that have appeared in Persona 5
In addition, one of the demons in Soul Hackers 2, Mara, who is aggressive and looks like a giant penis, also appeared in Persona 5. According to his intro, Mara has a fun origin. He is "a Buddhist demon that represents the fear of death. Also known as ‘The Evil One,’ he sent his daughters to tempt Buddha during his meditations."
Mara is a Buddhist demon that showed up in both Persona 5 and Soul Hackers 2
However, compared with Persona 5, the degree to which players can explore the maps in Soul Hackers 2 is more limited. The play time of Persona 5 is about 100 hours, while the basic play time to complete Soul Hackers 2’s main plotline is about 40 hours, much shorter.
Unforgettable cyber art
The game has a powerful visual impact; namely, the strong artistic experience created by the neon Japanese street views, and no detail looks out of line. The street views of shops, the bar, the circus, etc. all have strong colors, and players who roam freely in such an environment forget the time on their adventure to save the human world.
Meanwhile, the underground mazes are comprehensive and full of details. For example, in the abandoned subway, a piece of the track is fragmented, showing players the delicate level of the design.
Vending machines and convenience stores on neon streets sell surprisingly tasty treats like soda and pizza. Demon Summoners enjoy food in the Safe House, and they have their own preferences for different food, which are expressed by small smiley faces. These ingenious designs allow players to feel the mastery of details and design power of the developer Atlus.
Classic turn-based combat and demon fusions
As for the gameplay, Figue, one of the heroines in the game, becomes a commander overseeing the journey, while Ringo and the other four Demon Summoners gather and carry demons and explore the labyrinths together.
The turn-based combat system in Soul Hackers 2
In classic turn-based JRPG style, the player’s team and enemies face each other in their respective rows in combat, which occupies a considerable proportion of the game. Players will gain an advantage in battle by unleashing the skills of the demons carried by the Summoners and fighting the enemies. If you continuously hit the opponent's weakness, you can also get a "stack" effect, and Ringo will release a more powerful ultimate.
In addition to turn-based combat, Soul Hackers 2 also inherits the gameplay of the previous game's demon fusions, which can bring endless pleasure to players. Players can fuse demons in the circus to increase their combat potency. In addition, in the exploration of maps, players can collect demons and evolve them, a bit like a dark-demon version of Pokémon.
Demon Koppa Tengu in Soul Hackers 2
When the player walks into a map, the demons scatter, and you must explore to find them. Following that, demons will send you items and materials collected for the player. But unfortunately, Atlus did not use more details or animations to show this process.
Lengthy battles become a weaknesses
One of the shortcomings of the game is that unlocking the plot is sometimes slow at times, and the giant red and purple enemies that appear many times make people want to avoid them in the later stage. Fortunately, there are multiple maps in the game to farm in, allowing for some variety in the slower parts of the game.
There are also some light social elements in the game. If you drink in the bar, you can enhance your relationship with your companions. Through the Soul Matrix, you can learn about the past of your companion Summoners. In a conversation at the bar, the two main characters, Ringo and Arrow, talk about some frustrations with the world, which is very touchy.
"Well, the city, despite its splendor on the surface, doesn't make those passers-by feel peaceful", Ringo said to Arrow.
"Well, the city, despite its splendor on the surface, doesn't make those passers-by feel peaceful", Ringo said to Arrow.
The spiritual exploration of companions is not only achieved in the bar but also designed in the map of the Soul Matrix. Unfortunately, the map of the Soul Matrix is fairly drab, quickly making the experience repetitive. However, there are some interesting chapters, such as the memory between Saizo and his ex-girlfriend, which are also unveiled through the exploration of Soul Matrix.
The storyline is brief, all told, leading to criticism by many players. But overall, as an entry-level JRPG or as a way to experience the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series style, this spin-off has its own unique attractiveness.