Soul Hackers 2
MSRP $59.99
“Soul Hackers 2 innovates in the case of RPG gameplay, however its story is a step down in comparison with Atlus’ current hits.”
Execs
- Innovates on SMT components
- Satisfying flip economic system and technique
- Straightforward to recruit demons
- Development makes battles worthwhile
Cons
- Story strikes too quick
- Superficial hangout interactions
- Emotional beats fall flat
- Forgettable sideuests
I discovered my third lifeless physique about 5 hours into Soul Hackers 2. After 30 hours, I’ll discover out that corpses and plot twists are nothing to be stunned about.
Aion, the supercomputer model of God, foresees the tip of the world. It creates Ringo and Figue, two humanoid representations of its consciousness, to cease this impending apocalypse. Sadly, they arrive too late to save lots of their targets: genius scientist Ichiro Ondo and demon summoner Arrow. That’s the place the sport’s titular Soul Hacking is available in. Deliver again the soul and apparently the physique revives with it. Ringo finally ends up reviving three individuals who conform to combat collectively for the sake of their very own objectives. Who’ll actually win ultimately, although?
Soul Hackers 2 looks as if it has all the pieces it must succeed as a JRPG stuffed with sci-fi intrigue. Nonetheless, it speeds previous the stakes and character arcs in service of an anticlimactic race to the end. Fortunately, its finely crafted turn-based fight and development make an in any other case stale story straightforward to digest.
Similar however completely different components
Like different Atlus JRPGs, Soul Hackers 2 duplicates the Shin Megami Tensei components whereas meaningfully constructing on it. Recruit demons, combat with them, and fuse them into stronger allies. As soon as in battle, gamers must rigorously use sort benefits and switch economic system to wipe enemies out as shortly as doable or survive a brutal battle. One misstep may be the distinction between getting bodied by a full crew of demons or knocking all of them out with a multi-hit ending transfer.
Soul Hackers 2 has a knack for making each motion really feel prefer it’s price one thing.
Soul Hackers 2 makes use of this similar components to an extent with notable iteration. It brings again the Shin Megami Tensei mechanic the place the demons may be fused collectively to create ones with greater stats in comparison with ones pulled straight from the Compendium. It additionally allows you to degree up at an inexpensive tempo so that you simply don’t must grind ceaselessly, with sufficient new skills and demons to maintain you shifting ahead.
One other perk? Combating demons helps you degree up and accumulate drops for buying and selling. You may meaningfully improve your COMP with stat boosts and passive perks (aka your weapons) utilizing enemy drops or objects your demons discover from exploring. Some drops are additionally meant to be traded for therapeutic objects and powerups, so useful resource amassing is a extremely rewarding expertise with a number of functions.
Soul Hackers 2 has a knack for making each motion really feel prefer it’s price one thing. Shin Megami Tensei spinoffs sometimes contain exploiting enemy weaknesses to enchantment to the flip economic system. On this case, you achieve “Stacks” every time you hit an enemy weak spot. Ringo releases these stacks in a “Sabbath” on the finish of every flip for extra harm. Some demons even have their very own “bonuses” that activate throughout these Sabbaths. One may poison all enemies, whereas one other might grant the occasion a little bit of well being. It’s straightforward to stack the turns in your favor, as for those who’re doing the RPG equal of couponing, and have a constantly satisfying time constructing out the proper occasion composition.
Now, if solely the story impressed me as a lot because the gameplay.
Extra exhibiting, much less telling
My English professors used to emphasize “present not inform.” Sadly, Soul Hackers 2 does numerous telling and never a lot exhibiting. I stand by my preview, the place I wrote that the story shortly misplaced its shock worth after the primary three deaths. I get it. Aion beings can deliver individuals again to life with soul-hacking superpowers and everybody has an issue with their ex.
Soul Hackers 2 strikes quick. It dives into the recollections and regrets of Arrow, Milady, and Saizo early within the plot. To some extent, Soul Hackers 2 tells the story of three Demon Summoners who got here again to life to deal with their regrets and save the world. It doesn’t meaningfully weave the threads collectively, although. The three heroes convincingly react to their nemeses ultimately, however the buildup to that second is lacking. Actually, a few of their motives are hidden behind plot twists later within the story. The explanations for preserving these intimate moments exterior of the primary plot make sense in context, however that implies that you’ll should be in for the lengthy haul as you wade by way of lackluster plot and character improvement.
I at all times felt like a bystander slightly than somebody who was within the second myself.
A few of it might even be attributable to having Ringo because the protagonist. To be clear, I like Ringo as a hero. Her spunk and humorousness carried in any other case stale conversations. Nonetheless, she’s additionally primarily a new child.
Soul Hackers 2 tackles what it means to be human and what Ringo and Figue be taught from their passionate allies. Ringo because the protagonist simply appears like a waste when Arrow, Milady, and Saizo have such advanced backstories that we solely really feel within the third particular person. I at all times felt like a bystander slightly than somebody who was within the second myself.
A technical afterthought
Soul Hackers 2 paces its fight completely, even when it strikes too quick to savor the story. Nonetheless, there are different shifting components that would have used some work.
Areas just like the Axis and Membership Courteous provide sidequests to satisfy, however they’re by no means something greater than fetch quests, which really feel like a waste of time. A few of them have beneficial objects that make it price it, however more often than not, it’s simpler to faux they don’t exist. I additionally discovered it straightforward to disregard the Soul Matrix, which the sport reminds you to go to each different time you go to the Safehouse. Exploring it’ll give your occasion members beneficial passive perks the extra you elevate your social bond with them, however you’ll should return to a bland, repetitive dungeon time and again to take action.
Many of the controls work high quality sufficient, however there are some quirks that bugged me. It’s a little bit of a problem to regulate the digicam whereas operating, and it tends to observe Ringo just a little too intently. I additionally seen a lag with Ringo’s slash, an assault that can be utilized whereas exploring to stun enemies earlier than a random encounter. You’ll typically get caught in battle even for those who technically “hit” the enemy as the sport registers that you simply’ve walked into them and initiates the combat. I discovered myself having to time my slash early to make it hit once I needed, which made gameplay really feel just a little unnatural at instances.
These aren’t deal-breakers in comparison with the larger image. Nonetheless, they begin to add up when the one positives are the gameplay and development.
Our take
Soul Hackers 2 is like the center sibling of the Shin Megami Tensei household. It doesn’t have the darkish fantasy legacy of the collection its spun off from or the identical highschool hijinks because the Persona collection. As an alternative, it’s a superbly enjoyable, if inoffensive comeback sport for a long-dormant IP. Nonetheless, it doesn’t really feel prefer it’ll have the identical endurance as a few of Atlus’ current hits. Its emotional moments didn’t land as arduous due to a missing narrative that tells greater than it reveals. It innovates on some components of the SMT components with sturdy RPG methods and development, however it isn’t sufficient to make it one other must-play.
Is there a greater different?
Persona 5 Royal is a lengthier and extra entertaining sport with related RPG methods. In case you’ve already performed that, there’s additionally Persona 4, Shin Megami Tensei 5, or the not too long ago remastered Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne. They’ll scratch the itch for a compelling story higher.
How lengthy will it take?
Soul Hackers 2 is comparatively brief in comparison with Atlus’ different works. It took me between 30 and 40 hours to complete.
Must you purchase it?
Sure. It’s a comfortable suggestion for Shin Megami Tensei followers, although In case you’re new to Atlus video games, it’s not an important place to begin.
Soul Hackers 2 was reviewed on a PlayStation 4.
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