Soul Hackers 2 Hands-On Gameplay Preview: A Stylish Comeback
Soul Hackers 2 is the latest Shin Megami Tensei spinoff to follow in the wake of the explosive success of Persona 5 and its enhanced rerelease Persona 5 Royal. Its announcement in February came as something of a surprise to SMT fans, since Soul Hackers 2 is releasing 25 years after its prequel, pushing its way forward amongst successful franchise cousins like Shin Megami Tensei V and the aforementioned Persona 5. Screen Rant got a chance to go hands-on with the game at Summer Game Fest this year, to get a sense of where it stands when compared to the rest of Atlus' lineup.
One of the most recognizable differences between Soul Hackers 2 and Persona 5 is its setting. Persona 5 took place in a version of Tokyo that was close to the real world, with the obvious exception of the secret mental world existing just below the surface. In Soul Hackers 2, humankind freely interacts with SMT's iconic demons, who can be encountered in the overworld just as readily as human NPCs. Players who got introduced to the franchise through Persona 5 Royal's excellent writing will likely be shocked to see a Jack Frost calmly walking down the street, but this difference opens up some fascinating worldbuilding opportunities. Actions like upgrading weapons and, most importantly, fusing demons, can now freely happen in the Overworld, since all the NPCs the party is dealing with are aware of the existence of these mystical creatures.
Related: Atlus Doesn't Know What To Do With Persona
Unlike in Persona 5, where the protagonist could use the powers of multiple Personas while the other characters only had one each, Soul Hackers 2 lets the whole team freely equip their counterpart demons. Just as in Persona 5, these creatures provide characters with
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