Few 2022 Atlus announcements could’ve been more surprising thanSoul Hackers 2. The sequel toDevil Summoner: Soul Hackerscomes 25 years after the original game released, and even thoughDevil Summoner: Soul Hackersmade an appearance on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, the sci-fi spinoff of aShin Megami Tenseisubseries hasn’t been particularly active since then. Nevertheless,Soul Hackers 2is poised for success, thanks to the rising international popularity of Atlus RPGs. Those who first gained interest inSMTthroughShin Megami Tensei 5will want to giveSoul Hackers 2a try, thanks to its similar combat system and demon management.
Beyond itsShin Megami Tenseiroots, though,Soul Hackers 2notably borrows some significantfeatures from thePersonafranchiseas well. Players might notice a change in combat inspired byPersona’s All-Out Attacks, as well as social elements similar toPersona’s Social Links and Confidants.Soul Hackers 2maintains a distinct identity through its sci-fi setting and personality-rich protagonist, but it’s clearly aiming to imitate thePersonafranchise at least a little. That’s a smart move since it’ll makePersona’s newest fans feel right at home, should they decide to giveSoul Hackers 2a try.
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Soul Hackers 2’s Persona Elements
FromPersona 3onwards,Personafans 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 2will 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. AlthoughSoul Hackers 2usesShin Megami Tensei’s Press Turn combat system, Sabbath ought to make its combat feel significantly more akin toPersona.
Perhaps more importantly than Sabbath, though,Soul Hackers 2also replicates the social sim elements thatPersonais known for. The opportunity to develop friendships with other characters acts as a major draw for thePersonafranchise. To capitalize on that appeal,Soul Hackers 2has created its own opportunity for social sim elements. The protagonist Ringo is a young AI who has much to learn about the human world, soSoul Hackers 2’s social elements will be a worthy opportunity to develop that side of her character, much like howSocial Links and Confidantshelp ground eachPersonaprotagonist in an unfamiliar setting.
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Inheriting Persona’s Success
RevivingSoul Hackers 2makes more sense when taken alongsidePersona’s overwhelming success in recent years. Now that Atlus has a much larger audience, it has good cause to try pushing some of its otherMegami Tenseifranchises. Still,Personafans won’t necessarily jump on any givenMegami Tenseigame, since they can all differ greatly from one another. That’s why implementingPersonamechanics inSoul Hackers 2is a smart move. Similar combat and a social sim system givePersonafans a far better reason to playSoul Hackers 2than simply billing it as a sister to thePersonafranchise.
Soul Hackers 2looks like it strikes a good balance between the old and the new. It reuses oldMegami Tenseimechanics to entice fans, but it also aims to distinguish itself through its story, aesthetic, and other innovations. Ringo, for instance, is crucial to makingSoul Hackers 2stand out. As a fully-voiced female main protagonist in aMegami Tenseigame, Ringo really stands out from the player characters in most other Atlus RPGs. Well-knownPersonaandSMTmechanics provide a solid foundation forSoul Hackers 2’s innovations.Personahas createdthe perfect opportunity forSoul Hackers 2to succeed, and by nodding to the games that came before it,Soul Hackers 2has the right tools to tap into that opportunity.
Soul Hackers 2releases June 23, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
