Few 2022 Atlus announcements could've been more surprising than Soul Hackers 2. The sequel to Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers comes 25 years after the original game released, and even though Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers made an appearance on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, the sci-fi spinoff of a Shin Megami Tensei subseries hasn't been particularly active since then. Nevertheless, Soul Hackers 2 is poised for success, thanks to the rising international popularity of Atlus RPGs. Those who first gained interest in SMT through Shin Megami Tensei 5 will want to give Soul Hackers 2 a try, thanks to its similar combat system and demon management.
Beyond its Shin Megami Tensei roots, though, Soul Hackers 2 notably borrows some significant features from the Persona franchise as well. Players might notice a change in combat inspired by Persona's All-Out Attacks, as well as social elements similar to Persona's Social Links and Confidants. Soul Hackers 2 maintains a distinct identity through its sci-fi setting and personality-rich protagonist, but it's clearly aiming to imitate the Persona franchise at least a little. That's a smart move since it'll make Persona's newest fans feel right at home, should they decide to give Soul Hackers 2 a try.
Soul Hackers 2's Persona Elements
From Persona 3 onwards, Persona fans have learned to master the art of the All-Out Attack. By targeting the weaknesses of enemies and knocking them down, players can perform a devastating team attack that's likely to end battles well before the enemy has a chance to react. Soul Hackers 2 will have something similar to All-Out Attacks. When Ringo and her fellow Devil Summoners knock down enemies, she can use a technique called Sabbath, which unleashes Ringo's demons to deal major damage to the enemy. Although Soul Hackers 2 uses Shin Megami Tensei's Press Turn combat system, Sabbath ought to make its combat feel significantly more akin to Persona.
Perhaps more importantly than Sabbath, though, Soul Hackers 2 also replicates the social sim elements that Persona is known for. The opportunity to develop friendships with other characters acts as a major draw for the Persona franchise. To capitalize on that appeal, Soul Hackers 2 has created its own opportunity for social sim elements. The protagonist Ringo is a young AI who has much to learn about the human world, so Soul Hackers 2's social elements will be a worthy opportunity to develop that side of her character, much like how Social Links and Confidants help ground each Persona protagonist in an unfamiliar setting.
Inheriting Persona's Success
Reviving Soul Hackers 2 makes more sense when taken alongside Persona's overwhelming success in recent years. Now that Atlus has a much larger audience, it has good cause to try pushing some of its other Megami Tensei franchises. Still, Persona fans won't necessarily jump on any given Megami Tensei game, since they can all differ greatly from one another. That's why implementing Persona mechanics in Soul Hackers 2 is a smart move. Similar combat and a social sim system give Persona fans a far better reason to play Soul Hackers 2 than simply billing it as a sister to the Persona franchise.
Soul Hackers 2 looks like it strikes a good balance between the old and the new. It reuses old Megami Tensei mechanics to entice fans, but it also aims to distinguish itself through its story, aesthetic, and other innovations. Ringo, for instance, is crucial to making Soul Hackers 2 stand out. As a fully-voiced female main protagonist in a Megami Tensei game, Ringo really stands out from the player characters in most other Atlus RPGs. Well-known Persona and SMT mechanics provide a solid foundation for Soul Hackers 2's innovations. Persona has created the perfect opportunity for Soul Hackers 2 to succeed, and by nodding to the games that came before it, Soul Hackers 2 has the right tools to tap into that opportunity.
Soul Hackers 2 releases August 26, 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.