RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Reviews
Raidou Remastered is a charming remake of one of ATLUS' most experimental PS2. It succeeds in preserving that legacy, even if it holds it back from true greatness.
While Raidou himself is a silent protagonist, he’s still given a lot of character in the way he moves and dresses. I had a great time unpacking the game’s wild story, and knowing that a sequel to this game already exists has me hoping it will receive the same love in the future – because I want to see what Raidou the 14th gets up to next.
ATLUS has outdone itself with RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army. Middling story and wonky camera angles aside, it hits the sweet spot of monster taming and action combat without compromising on the complexities that make JRPGs captivating. Here's to hoping that ATLUS reinvents and reinvigorates the RAIDOU series, as it's a breath of fresh air for this Persona fan!
Everything a fan could want, but maybe not enough to win over newcomers.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is not only a mouthful to say out loud, but it's also a remaster packed with meaningful quality-of-life
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army sets a new standard for remasters by offering more improvements and upgrades than many games that bill themselves as full remakes. As someone who never played the original, it feels like I'm playing a modern Shin Megami Tensei title, even though it still has many of the tell-tale signs of a 2000s game. I don't know how the game could have been playable without such a smooth combat system and the countless quality of life features.
A bright and bombastic remaster of a cult classic that modern SMT fans need to play.
Atlus put so much effort in this new rendition of one of its most obscure PS2-era gems, with significant changes to both the combat system and many other aspects of the gameplay. This is, overall, the best version of the game by far, but a lacking partner AI and by the numbers side quests move Raidou Remastered away from the best of Atlus long-running production.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overworld exploration and combat have both had their edges sanded down to the point that they're a little too frictionless, and I think some of the magic has been lost as a result. It's a detective game where I never felt like a detective, and an action game where the action felt simple on all but the hardest difficulties. It's certainly a fun game, the period piece vibes are immaculate, and I hope it's successful enough to lead to a remaster of the sequel that my sister tells me was even better (or maybe even a third entry in the series), but unfortunately I wasn't quite as wowed by the remaster as I was hoping after twenty years of putting the game off.
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is more than a remaster, it is the version that should have been originally released 20 years ago. It looks better, plays better and is less frustrating. This corrected and augmented version is a worthy return of a game that was eaten by its own obscurity and its original problems prevented it from transcending any further.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is one of the more niche Atlus classics, but the remaster has been well worth the time and effort. There is a dark and culturally interesting heartbeat at the centre of this one, and while I do prefer turn-based combat to this action button-mashy stuff from Atlus, I was more than willing to put up with it for everything else about the game.
If you missed Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army when it originally released on PlayStation 2, this remaster should prove to be a treat. Featuring a revamped combat system, full voice acting, and more, Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army almost feels like a new game, and its mix of investigation, combat and demon-collecting is both engaging and rewarding.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is an excellent remaster of one of the best forgotten PS2 classics and one of the brightest gems in Atlus' catalog. The gameplay, visuals, and quality of life improvements elevate the game and make it even more of a must-have for fans of the genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
This is not a game without a handful of flaws, namely its underwhelming story and really ugly (human) character models. That being said, consider me a brand new fan of Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, and the Devil Summoner subseries as a whole. I really enjoyed it being a faster-paced, action-oriented take on the Shin Megami Tensei formula, in an episodic format that makes it highly enjoyable in smaller sessions. It may have aged visually, but mechanically-wise, it still holds the hell (pun intended) up.
RAIDOU Remastered is what a detective noir JRPG should be: strange, stylish, and loaded with secrets. It’s a cult classic polished to a modern shine, one that drags you into its smoky streets and refuses to let go until the last case is closed. Whether you’re a long-time fan or totally new to the Devil Summoner series, this is one case you don’t want to leave unsolved. Step into the fedora, summon a demon or two, and prepare to lose yourself in a murder mystery with a pulse made of thunder and shadows.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is an unexpected move by Sega and Atlus, who finally bring back to our screens the mysterious Japanese demon summoner from the 1930s. This is more than just a remaster, but not quite a remake either. The improvements mainly concern the combat system and some quality of life elements, but in general, what captivates us about Raidou is its unusual and fascinating atmosphere, the result of a combination of esotericism and Taishō-era Japan.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Devil Summoner’s journey is far from over—and we’re more than ready for the next case, because RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is an absolute masterclass in how to reintroduce a cult classic. It doesn’t just preserve the soul of the original—it enhances it in every way, breathing new life into one of ATLUS’ most stylish and underrated titles.
If you give Raidou Remastered 15 minutes of your time, you will probably be hooked if you’re an RPG fan. That first episode takes you right into your job as an apprentice detective at Narumi Detective Agency, and you start to meet some interesting characters while uncovering mysteries and a grand conspiracy. There are twists and turns to be experienced, and you certainly get the first glimpses of that when the young girl you meet at the beginning of Episode 1 gets kidnapped right in front of you.
RAIDOU Remastered takes the original Demon Summoner and gives it a plethora of quality-of-life improvements, creating what I would consider an essentially new experience. While the story is the same, engaging combat and a voiced cast help modernise what could have otherwise been a dated PlayStation 2 title. It’s fun, it’s frantic, and it’s unique. This is not only an ode to RPGs past, but proof that ATLAS can and will deliver on its projects.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a great little gem for the contemporary audiences. If being able to get your hands on this installment of the Devil Summoner series is a real surprise today, it is even more so to note the work done by ATLUS, which has not only significantly modernized the presentation, but has profoundly tweaked the content and combat system. Halfway between remastering and remake (but paradoxically more skewed toward the latter), Raidou Kuzunoha's return nevertheless remains a product for true connoisseurs, appealing to the most ardent fans of the genre and the Megami Tensei franchise.
Review in Italian | Read full review