When it comes to Atlus Games, there is a certain amount of expectation that fans want to see in their games. Games like Persona, Shin Megami Tensei and even Devil Summoner. However, when it comes to the latest game, Soul Hackers 2, things take an unexpected turn as there are some good and bad things we noticed after playing for hours. We, at Sirus Gaming, will share our experience and opinion on what Atlus’ latest game is like.
Soul Hackers 2 is a sequel to the first Soul Hackers from 1997. This game is a spin-off of the Devil Summoner series and in my experience you don’t need to play the 1st to learn more about Soul Hackers. This game is brand new and has a whole new story and gameplay suitable for high spec consoles like the PS5. In short, this game is something that Atlus fans would like to try in 4K quality.
Personally, I think Atlus is experimentally working on their goal of bringing quality 4K resolution to their games, and taking advantage of this may reveal flaws that need improvements in their future titles.
The story of Soul Hackers 2 is very direct but at the same time feels scattered. I say this because at times I am confused about where to go and what to do to progress in the story. Not only that, I felt like the story was moving too fast and didn’t have much left to present. If I were to rate the story content portion of the game, it would be at least 2.5 out of 5. The reason for this is that some parts of the story felt that enough details were not given about how it got to this point and seemed to be missing. Another thing that struck me was that there were scenes that felt blurry, especially with each character in a visual aspect, which made me feel less motivated to continue with the story.
The game’s environments were really worth checking out as they were colorful and vibrant to look at and explore. However, there are limitations in the maps and dungeons in Soul Hackers 2. The maps are very small and generally consist of a few shops and a few people to chat with as you walk between them. I still enjoyed walking around and visiting the shops as it was a good pick-me-up after visiting the dark dungeons.
Soul Hackers 2’s combat system is a combination of Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei V with the addition of their new feature called the Sabbath. Using this feature happens when you hit an enemy’s weakness, you increase the level of Sabbath attack that takes place after each character completes their turn. The more weaknesses you hit, the more powerful the Sabbath will be.
Because of this, you lean towards a strategy where you aim to reduce the health of all the demons to crit all at once in the hopes that the Sabbath wipes them all out at the end. I enjoyed this change of pace because in most RPGs the best tactic is usually to focus on one enemy at a time. It also requires you to be careful with the monsters you equip while trying to cover as many weaknesses as possible. Some monsters even have special Sabbath abilities that provide additional effects when the Sabbath attacks lands, such as healing the feast or poisoning the enemy.
During the fights I had in Soul Hackers 2, the boss fights were really one of the hardest things to do, mainly because I had to find a way to balance my party, figure out what weaknesses they might have, and even for money in the game to buy accessories and summon new demons to my party.
I find it very challenging, but at the same time also found it very attractive because it motivates me to continue with the game. It is worth a try and it made me realize that this game is a challenge that will explore more how players can adapt to this new environment presented by Atlus. .
Overall, Soul Hackers 2 is a decent game that especially appeals to fans of the Soul Hackers JRPG series. Although it lacked some aspects like story, map exploration and more, the battles and way to get stronger in the game are very interesting. I just hope Atlus can do better in their ongoing titles and spot other flaws in this game than the flaws I’ve mentioned.
Soul Hackers 2 – Review
Score definition
We tell you, it’s a good game! It’s not average! It may have some issues here and there, but you have to admit it’s a “good” game.
Pros
Story is simple and straight forward
Map details and dungeon are colorful and vibrant
Leveling and strategy skills are tested in this game
cons
Game content is too ambitious
The story is fragmented at times and leads to a lack of motivation to continue the game
Map details are too small to explore
Only appealing to JRPG fans
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