3.5/5 ★ – demibandage's review of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers.

Soul Hackers is a game that pretty much is the ultimate refinement of the pre-Nocturne style of mainline Shin Megami Tensei combat and storytelling as it not only provides a challenge but creates compelling characters while creating a setting that feels alive and lived in (and even acknowledging the first Devil Summoner which hasn’t been localized sadly). Soul Hackers has you taking the role of a member of the hacker group Spookies who happens to be living in Amami City which is the testing site for a new piece of software called Paradigm X which is essentially an internet hub where people can communicate (and, yes even hack into it to trade demons). If there’s one thing this game could’ve easily done, it’s ignore the technology aspect and just focus on the Devil Summoners that hide in the underworld of the city but this game not only balances the two (as a possible juxtaposition?) but also has semi-realistic ways of discussing technology but more importantly communication on the internet. The gameplay as I’ve mentioned before is the best version of the pre-press turn system that modern Megami Tensei would be known. It’s obvious that Atlus at the time wanted to create the best version of mainline SMT’s gameplay as the Magatama system that has you keeping an amount of Magatama to keep your demons out and depleting with each step feels like an actual game mechanic that challenges you to be smart about your cash and how much Magatama to have. One aspect that is incredible about this game is that each demon has a personality and you essentially have to bargain with demons that you own by giving them gifts and orders in battle that they agree with which further makes you feel like you’re not just getting a blank party member to fuse later but a demon that you’re actively working with to get what both of you want. An aspect from this game that’s entirely unique are Vision Quests which have you take up the role of a specific character in the past and playing as them in a mini dungeon. This not only teaches you how to handle demons early on but builds the setting without you having to talk with npcs and such. Some issues I have with this game are of course that I’m not entirely a big fan of first person dungeon crawlers (thankfully this game is short which made me not entirely despise the experience). The dungeons can be relatively tricky and the protagonist dying results in a game over which is redundant when you have a human partner (who literally can learn Recarm to revive you). Soul Hackers is my favorite first person dungeon crawler, it not only overstays it’s welcome but actually has game design that feels thought out and a story that has aged incredibly well (and in some ways feels like a precursors to Persona).