Soul Hackers 2

During that night at the bar, the group wondered if they’d still be alive by the time the flowers bloomed again. And I know that they will because I put in the effort to make that happen. I just wish I was rewarded with a bit more humanity and meaning to my struggles by seeing them create that memory for themselves.

Soul Hackers 2 is, at its heart, a streamlined Atlus JRPG, serving as a great entry point for anyone new to the genre or the developer in general. The combat and dungeon delving are entertaining, if fairly familiar, and the charming cast of characters kept me interested all the way through its roughly 60-hour campaign. But a disappointing lack of creativity in its battle systems and a fairly shallow overarching story mean this newly resurrected series will need to do more if it wants to set itself apart amongst Atlus’ best.