Soul Hackers 2

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 40
  3. Negative: 13 out of 40
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  1. HunterSeeker
    Sep 22, 2022
    3
    It is an interesting world with an interesting protagonist but the game just drops the ball on so many levels. For one thing, the game establishes that Aion is super intelligent and yet, Ringo and Figue lack so much information that you would think they have access to. It just doesn't make any sense. The dungeon design is really just extremely long hall ways with lots of dead ends. It madeIt is an interesting world with an interesting protagonist but the game just drops the ball on so many levels. For one thing, the game establishes that Aion is super intelligent and yet, Ringo and Figue lack so much information that you would think they have access to. It just doesn't make any sense. The dungeon design is really just extremely long hall ways with lots of dead ends. It made me wish they had a dash button from Persona 5; you don't get an actual run option until late in the game. With all of the shops/locales being placed all over the city, it feels like you have to go through a myriad of loading screens just to get to the places where you want to be. It doesn't help that the story climaxes also don't make any sort of logical sense either. Additionally, Shoji Meguro didn't do the music for this so the soundtrack is quite forgettable. Battle animations take so long that I wish there were ways to speed it up; even the auto battle feels slow in comparison to past Atlus games.… Expand
  2. Sufi-Sufi
    Aug 30, 2022
    7
    Pretty well developed RPG! There are some thing which could have been better, such as the dungeons and the repetition aspect of the “grind” of the game. The world seems quite alive and it’s a nice twist from other RPG’s I’ve played. Knowing later the team did not have a large budget unfortunately shows in some areas of the game. However, if you’re a fan of the “Mega-Ten” franchise or havePretty well developed RPG! There are some thing which could have been better, such as the dungeons and the repetition aspect of the “grind” of the game. The world seems quite alive and it’s a nice twist from other RPG’s I’ve played. Knowing later the team did not have a large budget unfortunately shows in some areas of the game. However, if you’re a fan of the “Mega-Ten” franchise or have played any of the “Persona” franchise, I suggest you give it a shot!… Expand
  3. Tzelanit
    Sep 22, 2022
    0
    More derivative weeb garbage from a company that hit their peak almost 15 years ago. Once Kazuma Kaneko and Shigenori Soejima got pushed out because they wanted to keep Persona games dark so that they were more similar and faithful to mainline SMT, Atlus went to hell. More repetitive uwu for virgins who watch anime to escape from their mundane lives. This is a hard pass for anyone over theMore derivative weeb garbage from a company that hit their peak almost 15 years ago. Once Kazuma Kaneko and Shigenori Soejima got pushed out because they wanted to keep Persona games dark so that they were more similar and faithful to mainline SMT, Atlus went to hell. More repetitive uwu for virgins who watch anime to escape from their mundane lives. This is a hard pass for anyone over the age of 16.… Expand
  4. karican
    Sep 11, 2022
    8
    I've been a fan of SMT for about 15 years and I really enjoyed this one. It feels a bit like meeting in the middle of Persona and SMT. I'm writing this after finishing the game. The gameplay is true to SMT tradition but with a different twist (the sabbath). The game was disappointing in how easy it was, even though I played it on hard mode. The soundtrack is awesome and in combinationI've been a fan of SMT for about 15 years and I really enjoyed this one. It feels a bit like meeting in the middle of Persona and SMT. I'm writing this after finishing the game. The gameplay is true to SMT tradition but with a different twist (the sabbath). The game was disappointing in how easy it was, even though I played it on hard mode. The soundtrack is awesome and in combination with the visual style, gives the game a great vibe. The story was pretty good, though it was a bit generic at the end. The characters are really good, complex characters with interesting histories. They felt very original and unique to me. I really like that the characters are adults and not high schoolers. I do really wish they added a fast forward button in combat and a dash for the dungeons (supposedly they are doing an update to include a dash in November). Sometimes it feels like the combat animations drag a bit more than they have to. People are complaining about lack luster dungeon designs but I didn't have an issue. The dungeons felt interesting enough to me. I think that if you are a fan of older RPGs and used to dungeon crawers you won't be turned off by these dungeons, but if you are coming from other backgrounds, maybe this will feel a bit more pale in comparison to beautiful sprawling open worlds.… Expand
  5. RowanBlack
    Aug 31, 2022
    7
    Reminds me of the glory days for PS2 jRPG's in it's gameplay. A middle of the road rpg experience that is polished enough to bring it up from a middle score a few points. Suffers from several normal jRPG issues, bland environments, long "Visual Novel" dialogue dumps, "Grindy" game mechanics and questing.

    Recommend for jRPG lovers only.
  6. Cobalt_Red
    May 5, 2023
    6
    Soul Hackers 2 is not really a sequel to the original 1997 game and the first Devil Summoner, so it is not mandatory to have played the previous ones, however, it is always nice to have a bit of a cameo.
    The game is a JRPG quite similar to DDS in basic structure, however, the tug and pull between the few dungeons and soul matrix weighs a bit, I did not find the subquests particularly    Soul Hackers 2 is not really a sequel to the original 1997 game and the first Devil Summoner, so it is not mandatory to have played the previous ones, however, it is always nice to have a bit of a cameo.
    The game is a JRPG quite similar to DDS in basic structure, however, the tug and pull between the few dungeons and soul matrix weighs a bit, I did not find the subquests particularly boring, nevertheless they are blatantly put in to lengthen the game.
    The gameplay is the usual of the saga, seek and strike weakness, with few differences.

    I didn't find the characters particularly bad, but I think the matrixes are superfluous, there was no reason why you couldn't find a way to implement their conversations during the story.
    I don't find Ringo a good main character, usually MCs are quieter to inmedesimate the player, and in dialogue choices it weighs quite a bit when you have one who seems to have his own opinions.
    I would have preferred Arrow to lead in the dungeons and Ringo in the matrixes, it would have made more sense.

    The thing I liked most about the game is the translation, don't make these games in English if that's possible, the European translations of the game are much better edited, and close to the Japanese script.

    To keep in mind that a part of the story is kept as DLC, and grinding is not among my favorite activities some aspects of the game could have been finished better.    … Expand
  7. CrimGryphon
    Aug 30, 2022
    8
    I just want to say, this is my first time leaving a review for any game ever. Even though I’ve wasted a very large portion of my 25 years on this planet escaping to a different world via video games.

    Anyway haha, the reason I wanted to leave my first ever review is because of the voice acting. I don’t know why, but the female voice actress for Ringo (English) is amazing. Not in a    I just want to say, this is my first time leaving a review for any game ever. Even though I’ve wasted a very large portion of my 25 years on this planet escaping to a different world via video games.

    Anyway haha, the reason I wanted to leave my first ever review is because of the voice acting. I don’t know why, but the female voice actress for Ringo (English) is amazing. Not in a supernatural sense of course, but on…. Hmmm hard to describe. It feels like she put Actual emotions behind every single line she speaks. This caused me to instantly be enamored in this new world I was about to step into. So huge shout out to Megan Taylor Harvey for causing me to finally leave a review on a video game :D.

    So obviously I have only just begun this game and I will commit to this review and come back to edit the score/content of this review for better or worse. Thanks for your time, and Sorry if I wasted it!    … Expand
  8. KyleBr
    Sep 4, 2022
    10
    I love Soul hackers 2 I have not finished the whole game yet but I love the characters and the story I wish others have the same experience
  9. GabbeMartins
    Jan 13, 2023
    9
    It's a straight-to-the-point JRPG, without much fluff and bringing in a "lighter" and more dynamic way all the mechanics and resources from other games in the SMT line, Persona and Devil Summoners itself, which in a way is very good, because it doesn't make the game exhausting and tiring, on the other hand... for hours there seems to be the feeling that something "more" is missing, evenIt's a straight-to-the-point JRPG, without much fluff and bringing in a "lighter" and more dynamic way all the mechanics and resources from other games in the SMT line, Persona and Devil Summoners itself, which in a way is very good, because it doesn't make the game exhausting and tiring, on the other hand... for hours there seems to be the feeling that something "more" is missing, even more so for someone who came straight from Persona to this one.

    The game really shines in its aesthetics, soundtrack and graphics, it also features a female protagonist for the first time, which makes it even more interesting and visionary, Ringo (the protagonist) is super charismatic, humorous and mysterious... which leaves the whole plot much lighter in the face of heavy and adult subjects portrayed.

    It's a balanced and very good game for those who want to start in this incredible universe of SMT and its various spin-offs.     … Expand
  10. WindlessNight
    Jan 31, 2023
    6
    While fun, the battle feels slow without the update for fast battle (I wouldn’t have finished it without the update), and the story is often quite bad and confusing in comparison to other titles. Meanwhile relationships feel fleshed out, yet the plot also feels the need to shoe-horn a message in about talking it out like a children’s show. Combat was fun, sabbaths are a neat addition toWhile fun, the battle feels slow without the update for fast battle (I wouldn’t have finished it without the update), and the story is often quite bad and confusing in comparison to other titles. Meanwhile relationships feel fleshed out, yet the plot also feels the need to shoe-horn a message in about talking it out like a children’s show. Combat was fun, sabbaths are a neat addition to the formula. Okay pickup if you’ve played every other ATLUS game, but if not, just look elsewhere.… Expand
  11. Belloman
    Sep 4, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As I highly appreciate this title, I subscribed mainly to provide a counterbalance to the (legitimate) negative opinions.

    My comment will be brief: I loved almost everything about it, but especially the fact that I felt represented as a 30+ year-old guy.

    This is the first time in my experience that I encountered a game whose characters (in my opinion, excellently crafted) conveyed problems and feelings I can relate to at this stage in my life.

    I believe this game revolves around relationships, both friendly and romantic, from an adult perspective, without the emphasis on family that Western games tend to have. (I'm generally uninterested in Western games, but that's another point.) It's a game with a narrative centered on friends and lovers, well-written and mature. The only character lacking in this regard is Arrow, I fear. But aside from him, the story is about characters and their loved ones, especially evident in the world-building and all the texts that appear during "social links" interactions.

    The ending itself, with its significant lack of depth (probably rushed for budget reasons, as I can't think of another explanation for the criminally disregarded elements of the plot that don't receive resolution), tells a tender story of someone who wasn't emotionally ready to love.

    This review primarily focuses on the writing, so it's time to mention the other pros:

    + The game system is very polished. The team behind Tokyo Mirage Session seems to excel in this field.
    + The Sabbath system might seem dull, but I spent the entire game strategizing when and with which variant to activate it to optimize combat – meaning it is meaningful. In other Megaten games, "all-out attack" and "extra turn" are merely things I aimed for but seldom used. They are a goal rather than a means, and I appreciate means in game design. That said, I'm not disparaging all-out attacks or extra turn mechanics; quite the opposite, I love them.
    + I personally think the soundtrack is great, but I understand that many may not share that sentiment.
    + As previously mentioned, the overall writing and characters.

    Cons:

    - Some elements of the story remain unresolved in the finale.
    - Three dungeons are essentially the same, and while I didn't find it unbearable, I didn't appreciate it either.

    If you have the time and come across a good deal in the store, I recommend giving this title a chance.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. GRYOnline.pl
    Sep 15, 2022
    65
    Soul Hackers 2 turned out quite pleasant a game, yet I'm also fully aware it's one that will be completely forgotten once other, similar games appear.
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  2. Gfinity
    Sep 1, 2022
    60
    Soul Hackers 2 is a light journey into the vast Shin Megami world with vibrant characters and a new story, though it is a little transparent for long-time fans wanting a deep JRPG.
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  3. Meristation
    Aug 18, 2022
    80
    Halfway between the first title and the new Persona titles, Soul Hackers 2 is a great RPG that lacks a bit in its dungeon mechanics. Although it is the main thing about this game, it allows itself to be played, absorbed and caught. Highly recommended even with its flaws.
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