As a sequel to the 1997 original,Soul Hackers 2has been a long time in the making. It only shares the futuristic themes with the originalSoul Hackersand is the fifth entry in theDevil Summonerseries. Like thePersonaseries, theDevil Summonergames are a spin-off from the challenging mainlineShin Megami Tenseiseries.
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Those who have already playedSoul Hackers 2will know that the game is a stylish, dark, cyberpunk JRPG with themes that deal with the occult, existentialism, and more. Of course, other entries in theSMTseries are an easy recommendation. However, the series is vast with a lot of titles available. Furthermore, there are games outsideSMTthat fans should play too. Here is a list of recommendations thatSoul Hackersfans should play next.
7Shin Megami Tensei 5
If one enjoyedSoul Hackers 2,playing an entry from its parent series,Shin Megami Tenseimakes sense. Arguably, the most accessible (but still very hard) of theSMTseries isShin Megami Tensei 5on the Nintendo Switch.
The visuals are more stylish than ever, but the gameplay retains its turn-based roots. Moreover, the nihilistic and dark themes that the series has become famous for are present and accounted for inSMT 5.
6The Persona Series
Similar to theSoul Hackersseries,Personais a spin-off ofShin Megami Tensei. This series emphasizes forming bonds with the other characters using Social Links, a mechanic more in-depth than the Soul Matrix.
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The most stylish and visually appealing entry in the series isPersona 5. However, all the games in the franchise have a sense of style. More importantly,Persona 3, Persona 4,andPersona 5are considered some of the greatest JRPGs of all time.
5AI: The Somnium Files
Soul Hackers 2andA.I: The Somnium Filesare games that belong to different genres. The latter is an adventure game and a visual novel, but the Japanese flavor, cyberpunk style, and setting will appeal to fans ofSoul Hackers.
The thought-provoking story and dark imagery will also resonate with fans of theSMTseries overall. It’s one ofthe best titles on Xbox Game Pass. The voice acting is superb and helps bring the neo-noir detective story to life.A.I: The Somnium Filesis thematically dark and disturbing at times, making it a perfect match for fans of the series. The equally goodA.I: Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiativeis also available.
4Shadow Hearts Series
Shadow Heartsbegins with the PS1 titleKoudelka.Like theShin Megami Tenseiseries, it’s a uniquely dark JRPG with a story that centers on the occult. SucceedingKoudelkais the trilogy ofShadow Heartstitles on the PS2.
Shadow Hearts: Covenantholds up as one of the best RPGs on the PlayStation 2, and considering that Sony’s console has one of the best catalogs of RPGs of any system, that’s no small feat. Unfortunately, theShadow Heartsseries is no more, and finding hard copies of these games can be expensive. However, Matsuzo Machida, who served as the director, and writer of the first two Shadow Hearts, isworking on a spiritual successor namedPennyblood.
3Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Sagais a two-part story hailed as one of the best scripts in theSMTfranchise. Even thoughSoul Hackers 2has modern visuals, it has an old-school feel to its gameplay and design reminiscent ofDigital Devil Saga.
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As the title suggests, there are themes thatDDSshares withSoul Hackers 2,and that’s a digital world beyond the real one. The characters embark on a mysterious journey and discover their humanity along the way (similar to Ringo and Figue’s journey inSoul Hackers 2).Digital Devil Saga’s tone and violence are more intense thanSoul Hackers,and it earns its M for Mature rating.
2Valkyrie Profile/Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Released in 1999 for the PS1,Valkyrie Profileis a critically acclaimed JRPG. It has a story inspired by Norse mythology, and players take on the role of a Valkyrie named Lenneth. Her mission is to travel Midgard and resurrect fallen heroes to serve as her einherjar and fight alongside Lenneth as comrades in arms.
A Norse mythology setting may seem worlds apart from Ringo’s cyberpunk-set mission inSouls Hackers 2.However, Ringo, like Lenneth, is tasked with preventing an apocalyptic event, not unlike Ragnarok. Moreover, she has to resurrect fighters to help her stop the end of the world.Valkyrie Elysium,the newest entry in the series, is due to come out in September 2022. Additionally,Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth,the enhanced PSP port, will be released on the same day asElysiumon September 28th, 2022.
1Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. the Soulless Army
Released in 2006,Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Armyis a must-play for fans ofSouls Hackers 2as they are both set in theDevil Summonerseries. Instead of a cyberpunk-style future,Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Armyis set in an alternate 1931.
Unlike most of theShin Megami Tensei,the combat is real-time, but the fusion of demons is similar toSoul Hackers 2. Moreover, the lead character Raidou is a Devil Summoner from an earlier iteration of the Yatagarsu organization, the same group that Arrow is a member of inSoul Hackers 2.
Soul Hackers 2is available now for the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
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