Soul Hackers 2

Soul Hacker 2 is a traditional JRPG that you can easily spend hours on, but also mediocre in every aspect. Although the classic training system has enough depth, and the turn-based system also involved some minor changes, the interest of the combat system is still limited. A lot of looting content improves the playability of the game, however the looting experience is monotonous and boring.

If not for the interesting cast of characters and beautiful cyberpunk world, Soul Hackers 2 would truly be just a poor man’s Persona game. If you hate grinding in JRPGs, stay away from this one, but if you absolutely love fusing Personas … uh Demons until you find the perfect party, Soul Hackers 2 is quite serviceable in that aspect.

A stylish sequel that strikes out on its own and wobbles along in its fashionable shoes. 7 Approachable for devil summoners new to Shin Megami Tensei. [Issue#19, p.84]

Soul Hackers 2 can offer a good experience to those who want to follow an interesting story that deviates from the teenage-school life style. But it is advised to arm yourself with patience, because the dungeons of the main characters are quite tiring due to their identical level design.

Behind its colorful neon lights, Soul Hackers 2 remains an "old-school" role-playing game that strays from more recent titles in its franchise like Persona 5 Royal or Shin Megami Tensei V. Beyond its cyberpunk anime aesthetic, the Atlus' game relies on an ever-effective and proven SMT-like combat system, but also on its friendly cast of characters who stand out for their original designs. Unfortunately, the experience is served by a story that is ultimately quite simple, with some technical shortcomings, but above all by its far too basic and repetitive dungeons which struggle to stimulate the player. A title that has something to please experienced role-playing game enthusiasts.

Soul Hackers 2 is an enjoyable JRPG which will feel familiar to fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series. It does do its own thing in many areas which is fine, but the dungeons are very simple and repetitive and the side content feels like padding although the rewards are worth it. It's not the next Atlus classic but it's a fun game nonetheless that may be a more forgiving entry point to the series.

Soul Hackers 2 is an ambitious game at war with its past, never quite daring enough to summon its full potential.

Soul Hackers 2 is good news for fans of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, a JRPG that, despite not reaching the excellence of its more direct predecessors, delivers a remarkable experience that knows how to find its own space within the demonic universe of Atlus .

Soul Hackers 2 is a by the books turn-based JRPG that doesn’t do anything particularly memorable nor offensive. The story is lacking in scope, dungeons are bland, and there’s questionable design choices to tried and true systems. It doesn’t help that there’s less-than-stellar load times on the current generation consoles, especially considering the amount of traveling that’s required. With that said, there’s decent character development, a fantastic combat system and of course all your favorite demons and creatures you’d expect, and then some. On top of that, the visual aesthetic (at least outside of dungeons) is tremendously vibrant, bringing your screen to life in the most enticing way possible. In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game, but it comes with numerous flaws. Soul Hackers 2 has all the trappings of a great Shin Megami Tensei game, including heart, but lacks the substance to make it special.

Soul Hackers 2 is a solid JRPG with much less character than it looks.

Soul Hackers 2 succeeds at fusing appealing character elements and story into a more traditional dungeon-crawling mode. In a lot of ways it does manage to travel that middle path between the extremes of its sibling series. But its bright spots don’t quite mask the moments where the moments where both its halves can fall short.

The story of Soul Hackers 2 is, by all means, the biggest highlight for the game. That’s not simply because the game is rather content light in every other area, either. Getting to experience Ringo discover the depths of humanity while navigating a strange new world was fun. Every character feels very well written with their own depth. The nicely strategic combat with having to judge risk and rewards and play with weaknesses truly made me never shy away from combat as I never got sick of fighting.

Taken as a whole, however, Soul Hackers 2 is a mostly satisfying experience. The character interactions and stylish art help it stand out from the pack, and the smooth-flowing, fast-paced combat makes even some of the more annoying dungeons (I don't want to see another abandoned subway for a very long time) feel like less of a drag. Soul Hackers, as a series, has a lot of potential to further grow into its own unique experience the way Persona has. Soul Hackers 2, despite its flaws, is a very promising start.

Soul Hackers 2 has great combat and a story worth checking out, but the repetitive environments and constant barrage of enemies make the experience less than stellar.

Soul Hackers 2 is a competent Atlus JRPG that will tick a lot of boxes for fans of the genre, but it falls well short of being that next breakout star from Japan. With awful dungeon design and little else to do outside of them, it falls upon the engaging combat system and interesting enough narrative to pick up the pieces. It's by no means the next must-play JRPG, but there's just enough to Soul Hackers 2 that warrants a playthrough.

Soul Hackers 2 is a game that tries to make everyone happy, keeping a classic soul but rejuvenating the genre with gameplay elements from Persona 5. Fans of the genre will probably appreciate it, but the lack of courage to create something iconic could doom Soul Hackers 2 to be remembered "only" as a good derivative game and little else. Only time will give us the answer.

Soul Hackers 2 offers a contrast of colourful and lively towns and characters with dull and dark dungeons that seem to go on forever. Optimizing your party can be quite enjoyable but the inconsistent demon recruiting system takes away from the fun of the grind. Overall, Soul Hackers 2 failed to keep my attention but it definitely has some noteworthy qualities.

I just wish I was rewarded with a bit more humanity and meaning to my struggles by seeing them create that memory for themselves.

Full of good intentions, Soul Hackers 2 never really convinces: its limited gameplay and redundant environments make it an experience that shows its limits very quickly, and it should take you a couple of hours before you get to the bottom of it. Lovers of Japanese turn-based games can still try their luck to fill a hollow tooth, but it doesn't offer anything substantial enough to quench their MegaTen thirst.

While its unclear whether Soul Hackers 2 was an attempt to make a more inviting Shin Megami Tensei game for newcomers, the end result is a disappointingly streamlined RPG that both newcomers and long-time fans will inevitably bounce off of. It's a perfectly fine RPG, but so much of what makes SMT special is sorely lacking here in a palpable way.

No hack job, then, but rather soulless. [Issue#376, p.114]