Soul Hackers 2 Reviews
Soul Hackers 2 delivers a well-crafted experience separate from other SMT entries.
Soul Hackers 2 is an entertaining Atlus JRPG, if also one that doesn't do much to stand out.
Soul Hackers 2, at its core, is enjoyable if you like rattling through dungeons, playing with demons, and building a kick-ass party.
A frustrating mix of the best and worst of Persona results in a disappointing Shin Megami Tensei spin-off that prioritises streamlined gameplay over innovation.
Throughout the 30 hours it took to hit credits, I kept trying to latch onto the elements that work. Soul Hackers 2’s saving grace lies in its main characters, each with a distinct personality that often clashes with the rest. Witnessing the group’s growth by putting their differences aside and opening themselves up to camaraderie was a joy.
Soul Hackers 2 is a stylish, engaging JRPG with great characters, but dull dungeon design dampens the experience.
I wandered into Soul Hackers 2 expecting a general sense of quality from Atlus, and ended up getting sucked into its world. While dungeon design can feel samey at times, it’s not enough to distract from the flashiness of the game as a whole. As usual, Atlus really nails the details; it was fun to hang out with this crew and see where things went.
Soul Hackers 2 it's a good game with some annoying issues. At it's core, Atlus new sci-fi JRPG it's an high-stakes 35/40 hours adventure with a charismatic and well written cast of characters, a protagonist - Ringo - which is both fun and interesting, and an enjoyable combat system. However, as a dungeon crawler, the game gets repetitive fairly quickly, and doesn't do enough to keep the player's attention high throught it's entire duration. Nonetheless, Soul Hackers 2 it's enjoyable experience, easy to recommend to all the fans of the Megami Tensei franchise, and a great starting point for a new series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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 Atlus' demonic universe.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Soul Hackers 2 is a by the books turn-based JRPG that doesn't do anything particularly memorable nor offensive.
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.
Is that bad? Not necessarily. The story is interesting, the characters are likeable, and the voice acting is good. If you enjoy the core game loop for the SMT games, you are getting exactly that. Just don’t expect a huge new experience with a lot of new gameplay concepts.
Soul Hackers 2 innovates when it comes to RPG gameplay, but its story is a step down compared to Atlus' recent hits.
There’s a lot to like about “Soul Hackers 2.″ Ringo’s upbeat personality makes her a phenomenal protagonist, along with both the engaging combat and fun characters keeping players absorbed within the minute-to-minute gameplay loop.
The market for a shorter Persona experience is there; Not everyone has the time to sink so much time into a single game. Even for fans of the franchise, the idea of experiencing everything Persona offers in the span of a couple of weekends sounds like heaven in a world where an array of games demand our attention. But Soul Hackers 2’s attempt to deliver a palatable streamlined experience for anyone and everyone should have taken more time to do some soul searching.
Soul Hackers 2's only saving grace is its visual design. The characters look cool, the town is interesting, and the UI is somewhat stylish, but that's it. It's not broken or anything, just incredibly uninteresting. There's absolutely no substance to the story, characters, battle system, or level design. It's such a shame, because that style is very appealing, but there's absolutely no reason to play the game otherwise.
Soul Hackers 2 is a wonderful JRPG that features an intriguing story, a cast of likable characters, and addicting gameplay that is both welcoming to newcomers and challenging for veterans. While the beginning can be slow, and some of the dungeons can be cumbersome to trudge through, the rewarding payoffs are worth the effort.
Soul Hackers 2 is a game that compares unfavorably to the recently released SMT V which I consider one of the series best. However, even when viewed on its own merits and nothing else, it falls far short of excellence due to its poor pacing, simplistic combat and endlessly dull dungeon crawling.
Soul Hackers 2 is a familiar but great entry in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, gifting players with one of Atlus's best-styled games to date.
Some of the best turn-based combat around mixed with a surprising amount of customization makes Soul Hackers 2 another engrossing winner courtesy of Atlus.