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Soul Hackers 2 | Review Thread

Draugoth

Draugoth

Gold Member
FacuLh6aUAcIrUG





Game Information
Game Title: Soul Hackers 2

Platforms:

  • Xbox Series X/S (Aug 26, 2022)
  • PlayStation 5 (Aug 26, 2022)
  • PC (Aug 26, 2022)
  • PlayStation 4 (Aug 26, 2022)
  • Xbox One (Aug 26, 2022)
Trailers:

Developer: Atlus

Publisher: SEGA

Review Aggregator:

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Critic Reviews

Bazimag - Sina Golabzade - Persian - 8.5 / 10

Soul Hackers 2 sits very comfortably in a place between both the main Shin Megami Tensei series and the Persona series while also putting its own unique spin on the ideas it is borrowing from those franchises which gives it an all new identity. This is yet another successful endeavor from Atlus which everyone should experience.
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Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 8 / 10

Overall, Soul Hackers 2 is a very good introduction to the Megami Tensei franchise. If you can enjoy the dull dungeons and don't constantly compare it to other parts of the franchise, you'll definitely have fun here and get a really good, if not great, JRPG.
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Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - Recommended

Overall Soul Hackers 2 is a great yet familiar gameplay experience that continues to push Atlus’ envelope of RPG titles. Persona 5 fans will be right at home as Soul Hackers 2 brings over some past features including gameplay systems, its approach to cinematic cut scenes, and a fantastic cast of English voice actors with a fresh coat of paint.
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Digitally Downloaded - Matt Sainsbury - 4.5 / 5

Quote not yet available
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Gamer's Palace - Manuel Eichhorn - German - 75 / 100

There's a lot to like about the story, setting and tactical elements of the fighting system and development of the demons. But that's a sharp contrast to the otherwise bland, even repetitive gameplay. Oh, and Soul Hackers 2 has been the first game in a while that made me angry with its loading screens.
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Gaming Nexus - Henry Yu - 8.5 / 10

Soul Hackers 2 feels like a culmination of everything Atlus learned from previous iterations of its games. It's beginner friendly enough for newcomers to join but also brings just enough challenge to entice veterans of the series. It leaves a unique mark with some genuinely creative mechanics while retaining core elements of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, but is bogged down by some poor design choices. Painted in a fresh neon coat of cyberpunk and drenched in a deeply wrapped narrative, Soul Hackers 2 still deserves the attention of any JRPG fan.
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Hardcore Gamer - Adam Beck - 3.5 / 5

Soul Hackers 2 is a by the books turn-based JRPG that doesn't do anything particularly memorable nor offensive.
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PlayStation Universe - Garri Bagdasarov - 8 / 10

Soul Hackers 2 feels like a budget title whose developers did the best with what they had. It's still a solid game with plenty to love that fans of the genre will certainly enjoy. A strong addition to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise with great combat and art direction only held back by uninspired dungeons and exploration.
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Prima Games - Lucas White - 7.5 / 10

It turned out to be a pretty interesting combination of classic SMT systems, lots of nerdy skill tinkering and a story about adults fighting for a world very similar to our own and figuring out why along the way. Not bad for a series that can’t get its own name straight!
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The Outerhaven Productions - Scott Adams - 4.5 / 5

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Twinfinite - Cameron Waldrop - 3.5 / 5

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Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 8 / 10

Overall, Soul Hackers 2 is a good - but not great - entry into the franchise. I had quite a lot of fun with it, and I think the cast is one of my favorites in the SMT games, but it has a "low-budget" feel that is difficult to escape, and the Soul Matrix concept feels lackluster. It has a good combat system, fun character customization, and everything I'd expect from a SMT spin-off. For some fans, I'd imagine that the change from the franchise norm will feel refreshing.
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Fbh

Fbh

Member
Eh, will wait for a steep sale or something....if I bother at all.
I wish we'd get something a bit different from Atlus. We have persona, we have SMT, do we really need a third game in the same style? Whatever happened to project Re:Fantasy?
The ugly art direction on this one doesn't help either.
 
Last edited:
anthony2690

anthony2690

Member
Genuinely surprised it is only in the 70s tbh.

Sega/Atlus must've been confident about the game though, to allow it's reviews out a week prior to launch.

I'm looking forward to trying this out myself :)


Edit:
Watching the IGN review, the dungeons look so dull, like the other Atlus games I've played (Digital Devil saga, Tokyo Mirage FE)

Are dungeons this dull looking on persona 5 royal as well?
 
Last edited:
adamsapple

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Still day 1.

Skifi28 said:
Lazy question: Do I need to have played or know anything about the first game?
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I'm gonna say no, even without now knowing full well myself, as the first game was an obscure as fuck Saturn game.
 
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F0rneus

F0rneus

Tears in the rain
anthony2690 said:
Genuinely surprised it is only in the 70s tbh.

Sega/Atlus must've been confident about the game though, to allow it's reviews out a week prior to launch.

I'm looking forward to trying this out myself :)


Edit:
Watching the IGN review, the dungeons look so dull, like the other Atlus games I've played (Digital Devil saga, Tokyo Mirage FE)

Are dungeons this dull looking on persona 5 royal as well?
Click to expand...
Hell no. The dungeons in Persona 5 are the game's highlight and are all amazing and filled with fun gimmicks.
 
Fbh

Fbh

Member
anthony2690 said:
Edit:
Watching the IGN review, the dungeons look so dull, like the other Atlus games I've played (Digital Devil saga, Tokyo Mirage FE)

Are dungeons this dull looking on persona 5 royal as well?
Click to expand...

I only played the original Persona 5 (didn't like it enough to spend another 100 hours on it).
But most dungeons in Persona 5 are way more visually unique and varied than what I've seen from this game, and they usually have their own gimmicks and mechanics. There's only one over arching dungeon that you go back to several times during the game (Mementos) which falls into this visually boring and repetitive nature.

The only issue with dungeons in Persona 5 IMO is that they start to drag on towards the end. The first few have the perfect length.
 
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TintoConCasera

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Don't care about scores, still getting Ringo's game.

That said, I might wait for a sale if the game turns out to be easy or if the soundtrack sucks. A banger ost and challenging gameplay is what drives me to play those games.
 
anthony2690

anthony2690

Member
F0rneus said:
Hell no. The dungeons in Persona 5 are the game's highlight and are all amazing and filled with fun gimmicks.
Click to expand...
Fbh said:
I only played the original Persona 5 (didn't like it enough to spend another 100 hours on it).
But most dungeons in Persona 5 are way more visually unique and varied than what I've seen from this game, and they usually have their own gimmicks and mechanics. There's only one over arching dungeon that you go back to several times during the game (Mementos) which falls into this visually boring and repetitive nature.

The only issue with dungeons in Persona 5 IMO is that they start to drag on towards the end. The first few have the perfect length.
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Thank you both for the responses.
I'm hoping I enjoy this upcoming soul hackers 2 & I'm really looking forward to Persona 5 Royal as I always see nothing but glowing praise for the game.
+ I want to support jrpgs on Xbox. :)
 
Chukhopops

Chukhopops

Member
Still preordered, I don’t think you can trust mainstream sites about that type of game.

Especially the complaints about budget make no sense to me.

Might not jump straight into it after playing Xenoblade though.
 
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Meowtor

Meowtor

Gold Member
I really need to go back and beat the first one on 3DS. is the 2nd one a direct story sequel or a standalone?
 
jm89

jm89

Member
Gonna wait for a deep sale. Those samey dungeons will put me to sleep, can't justify full price
 
The Cockatrice

The Cockatrice

I'm retarded?
Pretty much what I expected even tho the fans in the other thread were shocked how I could notice this but yeah the dungeons tod look boring as hell and its even clearer now. Wait for sale it is.
 
MagiusNecros

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
I think the peeps that are all about wanting turn based battle RPGs should pick this up. Looks like a fun time.
 
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M

Metnut

Member
The key for me is that if you’re going to spend most of your time in dungeons, how interesting are they? Are there all sorts of cool settings to find/explore? Or are they awful like Persona 4 or the those 2-3 SMT 5 dungeons.

If the exploration/level design is world class, then I’ll pay full price for this.
 
Chukhopops

Chukhopops

Member
Danjin44 said:
I mean original Soul Hackers also got this type of score....
X71x2u4.png


Chances are if you enjoyed original game you might enjoy this game as well.
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When it comes to turn-based games you can see some reviewers just plain don’t like the genre to begin with and need flashiness and distractions.

Games like Etrian Odyssey DS, Labyrinth of Refrain or Dungeon Travelers 2 (ok maybe this one is a bit special) are at 75 MC and are great if you like the genre.

It’s ok not to like it if you want something more story-based.
 
Punished Miku

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
I think Atlus scores have been inflated for a long time. The score honestly fits what I've played of their past stuff. Average JRPG that will be fine for fans.
 
DonkeyPunchJr

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
Not surprised at all. Just the mainstream gaijin dudebro audience hating on a game because it’s “anime” and “turn based”.

It’s got anime characters, experience points, and dungeons. It’s a perfectly cromulent JRPG. If you don’t like it, that just means you don’t like JRPGs.
 
drganon

drganon

Member
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
Looking forward to seeing reviews from anyone but Famitsu. One of the least trustworthy publications in game journalism. I especially hope reviews will touch on how much sexualization and other problematic content is buried in the experience, since a lot of reviews often gloss over how gross the Persona games are.
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You copied that from resetera, didn't you?
 
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nocsi

nocsi

Member
The game reviews well with japanese audiences, the scoring from western, not so much. It’s not an SMT game bent to appeal for western audiences, and that should be appreciated. We have people from radiant historia and nier: automata involved in this game.
 
Barakov

Barakov

Member
Seems like.....it's just pretty good. That's fine. Not every game needs to be a classic. I'm still there day 1.
 
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