Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Genre: JRPG, Turn-Based, Cyberpunk, Neon

Atlus is almost a household name in gaming at this point, thanks to the success of Persona, but of course, their history of producing great JRPGs stretches longer than some gamers might think (they made their first game in 1987). Their biggest franchise is, of course, Shin Megami Tensei (also simply Megami Tensei or SMT), and Persona is part of that bigger franchise. However, within SMT, they’ve also had a bunch of other spinoff series set in their own universe, one of which is Devil Summoner, and Soul Hackers 2 is just the latest entry in that series.

Devil Summoners Assemble

Firstly, you don’t need to have played the original Soul Hackers or any of the other titles in the Devil Summoner series to be able to play and understand what’s going on in Soul Hackers 2. However, there are name drops and easter eggs that will be familiar to veteran fans of the Devil Summoner franchise, such as the Kuzunoha name and others. I’ve only ever played the Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha games and I could still enjoy Soul Hackers 2 for what it is.

If you’ve played an Atlus JRPG, especially recent titles like Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V, you’ll be right at home with Soul Hackers. Most of the mechanics are the same, right down to the traditional turn-based combat, name of skills and attacks, as well as the Pokemon-style demon ‘collect them all’ and fusion systems. There’s even a relationship sim mechanic that reminds me of Persona, albeit one that’s simplified compared to Persona’s deep Social Link/Confidante mechanics.

The biggest flaw of Soul Hackers 2 is definitely its familiarity and feeling of sameness. It doesn’t really introduce new unique mechanics to stand out, or even do anything new in other aspects. Even the game’s plot and narrative is a generic JRPG story with end-of-the-world stakes and opposing factions butting heads, as well as some anime tropes thrown in for good measure. It’s not something that’s memorable, that’s for sure. It also looks like Atlus cut some corners when making this game, as your equipped demons don’t even pop up during battle like they do in Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V, the ‘endless hallway’ dungeons have bland and generic designs with no unique mechanics like the Palaces in Persona 5 or even the themed dungeons in Persona 4 (the dungeons in Soul Hackers 2 look more like Persona 3’s Tartarus), and there are way too many frequent loading screens every time you travel to an area (which is extremely noticeable considering that I played the PS5 version).

With most of the negative stuff out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff.

The Good Stuff

All that being said, Soul Hackers 2 is actually a fun and enjoyable JRPG if you’re not expecting the next Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V. The game is shorter than most JRPGs, and could even be completed in around 30 to 40 or 50 hours, which is a far cry from the 100-hour length of other Atlus JRPGs. However, you could add a lot more hours to that number if you take your time or if you’re a completionist. Soul Hackers 2 is a JRPG that actually respects your time. It’s fast-paced compared to other JRPGs, and within the first few hours, you’re already introduced to the main group of protagonists (the game’s four playable characters).

I won’t waste time explaining the combat due to how similar it is to other Atlus JRPGs, but there are a few mechanics that do stand out a little bit. The meat of the combat is the usual; try to find the specific weakness of each enemy and hit them with that attack until it dies. Rinse and repeat. However, I find the combat mechanics in Soul Hackers quite refined. There are only seven attack types in this game, and I can mention them all by memory; Fire, Ice, Electric, Force, Physical, Gunfire, and Ruin. That’s a much-simplified system compared to Persona or the mainline SMT games, and it’s a welcome improvement. With only four playable characters and seven attack types, it’s easier to plan out your builds/loadouts and understand the strengths of each of them.

Soul Hackers 2 also has an Affinity mechanic, where certain characters will do more damage or be better at any of the attack types. These Affinity levels can be increased, so each character won’t exactly get stuck to being only the ‘Ice guy’ or the ‘Fire lady’. This translates to a deeper system where every one of the four playable characters is flexible and each of them can use any demon that they want so they’re not tied to a single demon like your companions are in the Persona games.

Soul Hackers doesn’t have any branching paths or multiple endings, but it does still feature dialogue options. These dialogue options are usually to increase Soul Levels, which is your relationship level with each character. The game’s protagonist is an AI in a human body named Ringo, and her human companions are Arrow, Milady and Saizo. Soul Levels are an important mechanic in which they’re tied to a vital part of the game, though one that’s actually sort of optional. These are dungeons called the Soul Matrix (which are metaphysical dungeons to further develop the backstories of your human companions), and it works similar to the Mementos dungeon in Persona 5. In Soul Hackers 2, you need to increase Soul Levels and progress through the story to unlock deeper levels within the Soul Matrix dungeons. You can also increase Soul Levels by participating in “Hangout” sessions with your friends, which is the most reminiscent of the Persona games.

Demon Slayer

Basically, the gameplay loop or cycle of Soul Hackers 2 is that you’ll be spending half your time progressing through the story and the other half grinding for experience in the Soul Matrix dungeons. In between, you can upgrade your COMP devices, which are the character’s main weapons in the game. You can’t change these weapons, and they will look the same for the entire game (another corner cut by Atlus). For instance, Ringo’s weapon will always be a sword, while Arrow’s will always be a gun. However, a huge part of the game is upgrading these COMP devices, which is how you increase the stats and gain other skills/buffs (besides recruiting and fusing new demons, that is). That said, cosmetics-wise, your weapons will look exactly the same, though the COMP upgrades are essential for the game’s combat.

The demon designs and animation actually look great, which is why it’s perplexing that they don’t show up in combat. You’ll randomly meet them around dungeons where they’ll be standing in corners. Talking to them will yield money, items and new demons to recruit. Oh, and that’s another thing. Unlike Shin Megami Tensei V, you don’t negotiate to recruit new demons in Soul Hackers 2. When you randomly talk to your existing demons popping up in dungeons, they’ll introduce you to new demons. These new demons will either ask for items, money or HP/MP for you to recruit them, and that’s all there is to it.

“Negotiations” are as simple as that, which might be disappointing to long-time fans of the franchise.

The game’s combat is great, which is what makes up for the bland dungeon designs and cut corners like demons not showing up during combat. I really don’t understand why that is, because enemy demons are right there in the same battles. So, why aren’t my own awesome demons showing themselves when I unleash attacks like Bufudyne or Mazandyne? This may not sound like such a big deal, but it is when you consider how Personas pop up in the Persona games, and how your demons fight right beside your protagonist in Shin Megami Tensei V.

On the other hand, I loved the quality-of-life improvements such as the ability to save anywhere and at any time (as well as frequent autosaves). That’s a common feature in other games, but JRPGs are still notorious for featuring fixed save points and no autosaves. In terms of difficulty, Soul Hackers 2 is also very forgiving when compared to other Atlus JRPGs. Other smaller details also make the game a lot more accessible and friendlier to casual gamers and newcomers who might not be used to JRPGs. Don’t get me wrong, there are still the occasional difficulty spikes, but they’re nowhere near as common as in other Atlus JRPGs. In addition, as usual, the music is fire and slaps hard in Soul Hackers 2. Atlus never misses when it comes to the epic music in their JRPGs, and Soul Hackers is no exception; some of those boss battles have awesome tracks.

Cyberpunk Summoner

Soul Hackers 2 is a great game for those who are looking for a good Atlus JRPG that’s less complex, more streamlined and has some quality-of-life improvements, as well as one that’s shorter and respects your time (for a JRPG, that is). All the good stuff makes it easier to forgive the game’s faults, like cut corners (bland dungeon designs and lack of demons during battle), an abundance of loading screens, a generic story and a JRPG that’s more of the same and overly familiar. Still, you could do worse than this flashy futuristic devil-summoning acid trip.

PROS

• Atlus’ iconic JRPG mechanics but streamlined.
• Lots of quality-of-life improvements.
• Great visuals and an endearing cast of characters.

CONS

• Atlus cut some corners on certain elements.
• Lacking innovation or brand new unique mechanics.
• Shorter than other Atlus JRPGs (might be a pro too, depending on your preference).

FINAL SCORE: 60/100

Review copy provided by Sega. Played on PC. Soul Hackers 2 will launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 23 August 2022.