Soul Hackers 2

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 983 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Soul Hackers 2 Game Cover
Chances are you won’t have played the original Soul Hackers, released on SEGA Saturn in 1997 before being ported to Sony PlayStation in 1999 and Nintendo 3DS in 2012.
Starting at $19.86Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Xbox Games Store

"Soul Hackers 2" is a supernatural RPG set in a cyberpunk Japan, where two agents of a digital hivemind named Aion must investigate and prevent a butterfly effect that will lead to the end of the world. As Ringo, an agent of Aion, players will explore the neon-lit city and amass demons to unlock fusion combinations. The game's themes revolve around the impact of technology on humanity, with a brewing war between two factions: the Yatagarasu and the Phantom Society.

Play Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 983 reviews
story188 positive mentions
grinding84 negative mentions
  • The game features a vibrant art style and great character designs, particularly for Ringo and the main cast.
  • The combat system, while different from traditional SMT mechanics, introduces an interesting 'Sabbath' mechanic that adds a unique twist to battles.
  • The story and character interactions are engaging, with well-written dialogue and character development that keeps players invested.
  • The dungeon design is repetitive and uninspired, often consisting of long, empty corridors with little variation.
  • The game suffers from pacing issues, with a slow start and a rushed conclusion that leaves many plot points underdeveloped.
  • Day 1 DLC practices are criticized for locking content that should have been included in the base game, leading to feelings of being shortchanged.
  • story702 mentions

    The story of "Soul Hackers 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging yet predictable, often relying on familiar JRPG tropes. While some appreciate the character development and thematic depth, particularly regarding humanity and conflict, others criticize the pacing and repetitiveness of side quests, which detract from the overall narrative experience. Additionally, the presence of day-one DLC that adds story content has sparked debate, with some feeling it should have been included in the base game, further complicating the perception of the story's completeness.

    • “The story is well-crafted, offering a narrative that grips you from the start.”
    • “These characters, each with their own unique backstories and motivations, drive the plot forward, creating a deeply engaging experience.”
    • “For fans of Atlus games, particularly those who enjoy the Persona series, 'Soul Hackers 2' offers a rich, character-driven story that should not be missed.”
    • “The problem is the map design which lacks variety and is just downright boring, and a story that is lower than average, filled with contrivance and tropes, while all the potential that it holds is squandered.”
    • “The story is painfully short and feels rushed, with no time or incentive to fully utilize items or explore the world.”
    • “The story is very average and predictable, with the plot feeling like it wraps up too fast and lacks significant turning points.”
  • gameplay265 mentions

    The gameplay in "Soul Hackers 2" is a blend of traditional turn-based mechanics familiar to fans of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, featuring a new "sabbath" mechanic that allows for strategic damage boosts based on exploiting enemy weaknesses. While many players appreciate the engaging core loop of dungeon exploration and demon collection, some criticize the gameplay for being overly simplified and repetitive, with a lack of depth compared to previous titles in the franchise. Overall, the game offers a solid experience for newcomers but may disappoint veterans seeking the complexity of earlier entries.

    • “The loop between dungeon diving, identifying new demons, negotiating to have them join your team, and fusion to get stronger demons is a gameplay loop that will always be enjoyable through design, and it's great here.”
    • “The gameplay is a solid turn-based JRPG, as is typical of Atlus, featuring the famous demons, personae, and shadows we know so well.”
    • “With its compelling gameplay, enthralling narrative, and technical prowess, Soul Hackers 2 has the potential to carve out a prominent place in the annals of gaming history.”
    • “The gameplay, story, and presentation are all mediocre to bad.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, combat is stale and repetitive.”
    • “The gameplay is so bare bones it's not even worth trying to learn the details.”
  • music216 mentions

    The music in "Soul Hackers 2" has received mixed reviews, with many praising the battle themes and standout tracks, while others criticize the overall repetitiveness and lack of variety in the soundtrack, particularly in the soul matrix dungeons. While some players find the music enjoyable and fitting for the game's atmosphere, others feel it falls short compared to previous Atlus titles, leading to a sense of monotony during extended play. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight for some, but a disappointment for those expecting a more diverse auditory experience.

    • “The music and visuals are absolutely gorgeous and the battle system feels fresh yet familiar.”
    • “True to Atlus' reputation, this game boasts an exceptional artistic style, evident in its character designs, detailed environments, and a stellar soundtrack that perfectly complements its cyberpunk ambiance.”
    • “Soul Hackers 2 is a visual and auditory feast, boasting stunning visuals that bring its world to life and a mesmerizing soundtrack that sets the tone for every encounter.”
    • “The story, gameplay, and music are so generic and forgettable.”
    • “Every dungeon has the same music, the battle theme never changes, the combat system is far too repetitive, and actually exploring the dungeons is boring.”
    • “In fact, the dungeon music in this game became so mind-numbing after 20 hours in that I just turned the music off and played my own music.”
  • graphics122 mentions

    The graphics of "Soul Hackers 2" receive mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style and vibrant aesthetics that evoke a cyberpunk vibe. While the character designs and overall visual presentation are often described as stunning, the repetitive dungeon environments detract from the experience, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, the game is visually appealing but lacks the depth and variety in its settings that some players desire.

    • “The music and visuals are absolutely gorgeous and the battle system feels fresh yet familiar.”
    • “Soul Hackers 2 is a visual and auditory feast, boasting stunning visuals that bring its world to life and a mesmerizing soundtrack that sets the tone for every encounter.”
    • “The graphics are phenomenal, especially the character models and designs—I fell in love the moment I first saw the trailer.”
    • “The thing about it, though, and it might take you a while to realize this, when it comes to graphics, the game is pretty bad.”
    • “I definitely wished it was more developed regarding the dungeons, which are repetitive and aesthetically boring, and customization, which just boils down to using the highest stat item and paying for the DLC if you want your characters to look different.”
    • “The sabbath mechanic is similar to demon co-op from Strange Journey, map navigation is similar to Tokyo Mirage Sessions, you control humans with demons attached like in Persona, it has a set of dungeons similar to Mementos in Persona 5 that I literally thought were randomly generated because of how boring and samey their aesthetic was.”
  • grinding92 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive due to similar dungeon designs and minimal experience gains. While some appreciate the grind as a necessary part of the gameplay, others criticize it for disrupting the story's pacing and making exploration feel monotonous. Overall, the grinding experience is often described as excessive, requiring significant time investment to progress, especially in harder modes.

    • “Not too grindy, farming is relatively easy as you progress.”
    • “I prefer games like Devil Summoner in that it has a good story and is not very grindy.”
    • “The story is stretched paper thin, and the game time is padded to death due to difficulty spikes and ridiculously expensive upgrades that force grinding.”
    • “The soul matrix, the area where you will likely spend most of your time leveling up and grinding, features 15 different floors, each one with the exact same music and background visuals (not even a change in color scheme) and it gets very samey, very quick.”
    • “All of them are enormous, long, spiraling empty halls with nothing to do except fight or run past enemies, which makes exploring them not only very tedious over the course of the roughly 60 hours of main story progression, but very boring as well.”
  • character development47 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating the vibrant character designs and the social dynamics among the cast, which enhance the overall experience. While some reviews note that the depth of character development may not be as strong as in other titles, the characters still manage to grow on players throughout the game. Overall, the artistic style and character interactions are highlighted as standout features, despite some criticisms regarding the simplicity of the story and the lack of more profound character arcs.

    • “The character development and the social dynamics among the cast are standout features that elevate the entire experience.”
    • “Its worth playing for the phenomenal character developments and voice acting alone.”
    • “Sure the dungeons visually are a mess but the character development, the combat, the story, I think are pretty good, a lot of the themes are very mature and reflect things people go through in real life.”
    • “Some aspects of the story don't make sense and character development is weak.”
    • “It was dungeon after dungeon without any breaks for proper character developments or subplots (excluding soul matrix and requests).”
    • “There were many promising character developments wasted.”
  • atmosphere16 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a rich blend of futuristic cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic themes, featuring dark elements such as death, cults, and the struggle between humans and sentient AI. Players appreciate the vibrant neon visuals and serene music that create a chill vibe, although some areas may feel repetitive. Overall, the atmosphere successfully captures the gritty essence of its predecessors while introducing a unique tone that resonates with adult themes.

    • “The world has its own futuristic post-apocalyptic punk atmosphere with dark themes such as death, cults, and robots/demons taking over humans.”
    • “The dystopian cyberpunk atmosphere was done right.”
    • “The writers really kept the atmosphere of the original Devil Summoner games alive in this game, portraying a gritty, dangerous world full of demons and intrigue.”
    • “The world has its own futuristic post-apocalyptic punk atmosphere with dark themes such as death, cults, the end of the world, and robots/demons taking over humans.”
    • “While I don't mind the loss of the hard-boiled detective atmosphere that permeated its predecessor, Soul Hackers 2 is meant to be set in an era where data-driven AI has become sentient, but it does almost nothing interesting with it, at least in the 13 hours I've played so far.”
    • “Atmosphere: the game really hits the bright neon notes and a striking visual backdrop, but after a while, things start to look the same.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance and high frame rates without crashes or significant bugs. However, some users noted that default settings can lead to odd optimization issues, particularly related to the older Unity engine version used. While the game runs well on high-end systems, there are calls for future patches to address minor performance concerns.

    • “Performance: this game never had any form of instability and it never crashed for me.”
    • “I feel like it was optimized well for the PC and I had smooth frame rates the whole time.”
    • “+great performance as RTX 3080 runs 100+ fps on 4K max settings.”
    • “While I didn't encounter any bugs or glitches myself, the default settings create some odd optimization issues with this game.”
    • “Hopefully they will patch some more performance issues over time.”
    • “This game does so many things right that it's a shame that the final product is weighed down by bad decisions and poor performance.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by memorable characters and their relationships, which form its core, though some players feel these moments are too brief and infrequent. While certain scenes evoke strong feelings, the overall emotional impact is mixed, with some finding the music and story elements lacking compared to previous titles in the franchise. The blend of heartwarming character interactions and darker themes adds depth, but the execution leaves some players wanting more.

    • “She stands out as a memorable character, leading a cast of equally intriguing individuals whose relationships and interactions form the emotional core of the game.”
    • “Some of the moments nearly broke me emotionally.”
    • “Like the best games of the franchise, the story is pretty dark, touching on betrayal, murder, and violence all over the place... and it's great.”
  • humor12 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it charming and enjoyable, particularly through the character of Ringo, who is described as both funny and lovable. While some design choices and awkward dialogue moments may be irritating, they often contribute to the overall comedic experience rather than detract from it. The game avoids mean-spirited humor, allowing all characters to shine and enhancing the lighthearted tone.

    • “I see a lot of people get mad about the little things in the game, but usually the mistakes and awkward dialogue moments are really funny and add to the charm of the overall experience.”
    • “It's funny when you run up to a demon or NPC and press the button to talk to them, then watch Ringo slide to a stop ten feet past them while the dialogue is going.”
    • “Ringo is genuinely really funny, and even if the other characters are kind of tropey, I thought it was not really distractingly so.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with multiple reviewers labeling the DLC as a blatant cash grab that lacks meaningful content and feels exploitative. Players express frustration over the perceived lack of passion in the game's design, suggesting that financial motives overshadowed creative efforts. Overall, the monetization strategy is seen as a significant detractor from the game's quality and enjoyment.

    • “DLC is all a cash grab, though it offers some extra dialogue with important characters.”
    • “Shameless cash grab.”
    • “This game is a pure cash grab that felt like there was some sense of passion earlier but quickly muddled by the need for money.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game experiences frequent freezes on the Steam Deck, although some players report no bugs or glitches. However, the default settings may lead to optimization issues that affect overall stability.

    • “The game freezes on the Steam Deck a lot.”
    • “While I didn't encounter any bugs or glitches myself, the default settings create some odd optimization issues with this game.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers a New Game+ mode, enhancing its replayability; however, some users feel that this feature may ultimately diminish the game's long-term replay value.

    • “There is also New Game+ available, which adds significant replayability to the game.”
    • “I also feel like this game will lose some replay value due to this as well.”
    • “There is also New Game+ available, so that adds some replayability to the game too.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

Buy Soul Hackers 2

Play time

26hMedian play time
33hAverage play time
10-60hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News