Soul Hackers 2 | A Great Stylish Streamlined SMT Entry

Our Soul Hackers 2 review examines the new entry in the Devil Summoner seriesfeaturing sharp visuals and art direction by Shirow Miwa.

The Sabbath combat system and COMP customization keep battles fresh, supported by a strong soundtrack and voice acting throughout. Some dungeons feel flat and endgame content is locked to New Game+, but it is a stylish, strategic RPG that fans of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE will appreciate.

Soul Hackers 2 At a Glance

Soul Hackers 2 Background

On February 17, 2022, ATLUS teased Soul Hackers 2 via a cryptic Twitter account and countdown website, culminating in its reveal on February 21 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC. This was the first Hackers title in a decade and the first Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) game on Xbox since 2002’s SMT: NINE. It launched globally in August 2022 (Stenbuck, 2022).

Directors Ishida and Hirata cited NieR: Automata as an influence, noting similarities in its non-human female protagonist and futuristic setting. They studied its stylish third-person camera and drew inspiration for “Realms” (secret spaces for Devil Summoners) from the John Wick series’ Continental Hotel (Epps, 2022).

In particular, we studied how that game achieves a stylish look for the protagonist, as the camera tracks them from behind in a third-person perspective. Also, as a fun fact, the secret spaces called ‘Realms’ that only Devil Summoners can enter are loosely based on the Continental Hotel from the John Wick film series” (Epps, 2022).

The development team for Hackers 2 includes:

• Mitsuru Hirata (Producer/Director)
  • Radiant Historia, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.
• Shinjiro Takata (Director)
  • Devil Survivor series, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Shin Megami Tensei V.
• Shirow Miwa (Character Designer)
  • 7th Dragon 2020, 7th Dragon III Code: VFD, Dogs, Fate: Grand Order.
• MONACA (Composers)
  • Nier: Automata, Drakengard 3
• Eiji Ishida (Producer/Director)
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.

Soul Hackers 2 Experience

Prior to playing Soul Hackers 2, I have played many Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) and Atlus titles. My experience spans across SMT III: Nocturne, SMT IV, SMT IV: Apocalypse, Digital Devil Saga, Soul Hackers, Devil Survivor: Overclocked, Strange Journey, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army, and Shin Megami Tensei V. I’ve completed countless other Atlus games, which has given me a solid foundation in their distinct style and mechanics.

Shirow Miwa’s work caught my attention through his art in Fate: Grand Order, particularly with characters like Brynhildr and Sigurd. I am also familiar with his series Dogs: Bullets & Carnage. As for MONACA, their music I remember from their work on the Nier and Drakengard series.

Soul Hackers 2 Impressions

From the title screen, I was impressed by how artistic the game is, especially considering it is running on the latest version of Unity (at the time). Most games that run on the Unity engine that I have played don’t quite have the style Soul Hackers 2 does or look as visually appealing. If anything, it is Shirow Miwa’s art along with the rest of the art team’s skill.

The music is quite different from what I expected. The score for the original Soul Hackers was more of a cyberpunk ambiance that wouldn’t be out of place being called vaporwave. It lent itself very well to the design of levels, for example my favorite for it, Vision Quest Amami Airport. The music in Soul Hackers 2 also suits the designs and plot but in a different way. For example, one of the boss battle themes evokes a vibe similar to Jotaro’s theme. While I’m not sure if it was intentional, it does the fight.

Building on the streamlined battle system, Soul Hackers 2 provides a middle ground between what is expected of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. In a way, it is reminiscent of Tokyo Mirage Sessions’ combat system, which makes sense considering the staff of this game. However, it adds more strategy with the Sabbath mechanic. This mechanic works by creating a “stack” by hitting a target’s weakness and using tandem skills, which are unique abilities that activate during a Sabbath. This mechanic is inspired by the all-out-attack from Persona.

I appreciated the more straightforward dungeon design in Soul Hackers 2. While some might find them too streamlined or bordering on generic, they contribute positively to the game’s pacing. This is a welcome change from the poorly designed dungeons seen in previous Shin Megami Tensei titles, such as the final dungeon in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, which often disrupt pacing and overstay their welcome.

I also appreciate that Atlus decided to keep the COMP system from the original. Characters have their COMP weapons and demons working in tandem, giving them more synergy. You can also visit a COMPsmith shop to upgrade your character’s rank in elements, passives, and other upgrades, known as Mystiques. This provides a sizable level of experimentation that is encouraged to complement your playstyle.

Hangouts with characters flesh them out beyond the main plot and include personalized dungeons called Matrix, which have bond point requirements to access new floors. These grant new passives or active skills and offer significant character development and backstory revelations. However, the final Matrix can only be completed in a New Game+ run, as you do not earn enough points to max anyone out in your first playthrough. Points are doubled in NG+, and the game has three possible endings influenced by your choices.

The characters and their designs were very memorable. I went out of my way to do every hangout and spend as much time with them as I could, how much I enjoyed the cast and their seiyuus. The main seiyuu cast features:

• Tomoyo Kurosawa (Ringo): Mizuki (AI: Somnium Files), Sothis (Fire Emblem)
• Nanako Mori (Figue): Arlecchino (Genshin Impact), Coco (Code Vein)
• Kaito Ishikawa (Arrow): Yuzuru from SMT V, Louis (Code Vein)
• Ami Koshimizu (Milady): Holo (Spice and Wolf), Ryuko Matoi (Kill La Kill), Sailor Jupiter (Sailor Moon Crystal)
• Masaya Matsukaze (Saizo): Hidetoshi Odagiri (Persona 3), Yasuhiro Hagakure (Danganronpa)
• Yuichi Nakamura (Iron Mask): Bruno Bucciarati (JoJo’s), Joon-gi Han (Yakuza)

Soul Hackers 2 Review Verdict

Soul Hackers 2 stands out with its striking visual style and a cast that I actually cared about. I went out of my way to do every hangout and spend as much time with them as I could, how much I enjoyed the cast and their seiyuus. Ringo is a fantastic lead and her personality carries a lot of the slower moments.

The battle system skillfully blends elements from Persona and SMT, and while the dungeons are simple, they don’t overstay their welcome like some other Atlus titles. Nearly completing all achievements in my first playthrough has me eagerly anticipating diving into the NG+ content. Hackers 2 honestly surpassed the disappointment of Shin Megami Tensei V for me in terms of character and plot.

Soul Hackers 2 TLDR

Soul Hackers 2 Review References

1. Stenbuck, K. (2022, February 21). Soul Hackers 2 is coming to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on August 26. RPG Site.
2. Epps, D. (2022, August 3). Soul Hackers 2 devs took design inspiration from Nier: Automata and John Wick. Digital Trends.
3. Soul Hackers 2(2022) Japanese Cast. BehindTheVoiceActors. (n.d.).
4. Amami Airport (Vision Quest) – Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers – Megaten Music (May 9, 2017).
5. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders OST – Stardust Crusaders – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures (September 8, 2014).
6. ?????????? – MONACA – Topic (August 24, 2023).