Soul Hackers 2's Social Elements Could Look Very Different From Persona

gamerant.com:

Now that interest in Atlus RPGs has been heightened so much, Soul Hackers 2 seems like a great move, even if it's a somewhat surprising one. Not only has Persona 5 greatly expanded interest in the Persona series, but Shin Megami Tensei 5 and Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster have brought more fans to Atlus' core Shin Megami Tensei line of games. As a Megami Tensei offshoot, Soul Hackers 2 will likely share a lot of design elements with the demon-centric Shin Megami Tensei series, but Atlus has confirmed that there are some notable Persona mechanics in the new game, incluiding social sim elements.

In the Persona games, spending time with friends and strengthening bonds is a key way of making the protagonist more powerful. Soul Hackers 2 will reportedly include something similar; the protagonist Ringo can spend time with her fellow devil summoner to improve her relationships with them. However, the premise of Soul Hackers 2 implies that its social sim elements will look very different from Persona's Social Links and Confidants. As a speaking character with a fleshed out personality, Ringo might have far more to say to her friends and allies than a Persona protagonist, which opens the door for some mechanical nuance.

Megami Tensei Fans Should Expect More Franchise Reworks After Soul Hackers 2

Persona protagonists are generally silent, which results in them having very limited impact on all kinds of cutscenes. Whether it's part of the central plot or a Social Link interaction, the protagonist generally sits and listens until there's something minor that they can contribute that changes the conversation's direction. When interacting with Confidants and Social Links, these choices do matter, since saying the right thing