Soul Hackers 2 beginners guide: 5 things to know before starting the MegaTen spin-off

Soul Hackers 2 is the latest game in the MegaTen franchise from Atlus, bringing the familiar series back to life again. Although it's not an official sequel to Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, it’s going to have some familiar touches, but it’s also different in quite a few ways.

There are several things that both beginners and established fans of the franchise should probably know going into this Atlus JRPG. Now that the game has launched, it offers plenty of challenging gameplay, compelling storylines, and familiar demons. Here's what beginners should know before they dive into the game.

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What beginners need to know about Soul Hackers 2

Soul Hackers 2 is a game that’s welcoming to newcomers to both the MegaTen franchise and also JRPGs in general. With multiple endings, it’s also got plenty of replay value between that and being able to approach boss fights with a wide selection of powerful demons.

Ringo and her allies will go through an unforgettable adventure together, and here are some things beginners ought to know before they begin the game.

What to know about Soul Hackers 2:

• You don't need to play Soul Hackers 1 first
• No recruiting demons through combat
• Soul Hackers 2 has social elements added
• Character levels, currency, Demon Compendium completion, and Fusion History carry over to New Game+
• Multiple difficulty options, changeable on the fly

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5) You don’t need to play Soul Hackers 1 first

Soul Hackers 2 takes place in Amami City, the same city as Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, but it is not a sequel. This is great news, considering Soul Hackers 1 came out in 1997. It doesn’t involve the same factions or characters and is very much its own story.

This isn’t uncommon in the Megami Tensei franchise, either. Most of the games can be played on their own or in any order. It's a follow-up, but it's not a sequel. It’s not going to help in understanding the story, but the original game is worth playing on the PlayStation or 3DS.

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4) No recruiting demons through combat

SMT and Persona fans will be disappointed to hear that they can’t recruit demons for combat in Soul Hackers 2. In previous entries in the MegaTen franchise, it’s not uncommon to recruit from active battles, but that’s not the case here.

Instead, there are two ways to recruit demons to your cause. The first is by playing the game and exploring dungeons. Ringo sends the demons you’ve recruited to scout the area, and they will offer items and money. They’ll also occasionally bring along demons to recruit.

Demons will ask for money, health, or items to join you. The other option is to go to Cirque du Gourmand and fuse your current demons together to create something new.

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3) Soul Hackers 2 introduces social elements to the franchise

Persona is well-known for its intense and complicated social element system, and it’s coming to the Megami Tensei games via Soul Hackers 2. The Soul Link system is new, and it shows how much Ringo learns about humanity via her teammates, Arrow, Milady, and Saizo.

Through the game, Ringo will get a chance to respond to other NPCs/enemies, and players will be able to see how much the characters’ Soul Levels improve. Players can also go to the local bar to hang out and increase Soul Levels that way. This is more limited and depends on how many items they find that unlock more hangouts. These are dropped by demon scouts in dungeons.

Soul Levels are key to exploring the Soul Matrix dungeons, which offer a great way to explore the story and unlock powerful passive skills.

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2) New Game+ exists - Here’s what carries over

New Game+ is a fun addition to JRPGs, and Soul Hackers 2 also features it. After all, this game can be completed around level 55-60, and there’s a level 89 Special Summon taunting players in Cirque du Gourmand.

After completing the game, new side quests await, as do stronger foes and new personal events. What carries over though? Character levels, COMP Mods, currency, Magatsuhi items, Magic Stones, Demon Compendium completion, and Fusion History all carry over.

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1) Multiple difficulty options exist, and the difficulty can be changed on the fly

Most players are going to want to play the game on Normal. There is plenty of challenge in the Normal difficulty, but the game also features a Hard difficulty and a free DLC update for a Very Hard difficulty. The game has a similar difficulty curve to games like Shin Megami Tensei 5 and Persona 5, but it might be too hard for some players.

There’s no shame in dropping the difficulty to Easy, and players can adjust the difficulty whenever they need to. In addition to simply having easier fights, if you lose a boss fight on Easy, you can restart the battle right where you left off.

The party fully heals, and the boss remains damaged. There are battles in the game that can feel terribly overwhelming, and there’s no shame in taking things down a notch.

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Soul Hackers 2 is the latest Atlus JRPG, and stars Ringo, Arrow, Milady, and Saizo as they battle to save the world.