As with any big JRPG, there's a lot to take in when it comes to Atlus' latest game. To help with that, we've curated Soul Hackers 2 tips for anyone new to the franchise, or coming back after a break. Down below, you'll find eight Soul Hackers 2 tips that we wish we'd taken to heart before jumping in ourselves. Learn from our mistakes, and you'll avoid any little frustrations.
Soul Hackers contains some familiar elements if you've ever played a Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, or Devil Summoner title. In fact, the game's predecessor was Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, released way back in 1997. Since then the Megami Tensei family tree of games has grown exponentially, and Soul Hackers 2 is the latest addition to it.
If you're looking for more games where you can beat up other-worldly monsters, we suggest Genshin Impact, or Tower of Fantasy. In fact, here's our list of the best free open-world games you can play right now.
Beginner Soul Hackers 2 tips
Interact with every Demon
As your party enters a new dungeon, Ringo, who plays an integral part in recruiting new Soul Hackers 2 demons, will send some demons out to do Demon Recon. This scatters them across the map for you to find at random points.
Speak to every Demon you see. You'll get items, can get healed for free, get some Yen, or most importantly - they can introduce you to a new Demon to forge a contract with. The Demon will likely ask you for something, and if you choose to give it to them, they will join your roster.
Increase party members' Soul Level equally
Soul Level is a basic social strategy in Soul Hackers 2. You'll need to reach certain levels with each character before you can open new areas within their Soul Matrix, but these start from level five.
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Every so often, choices in conversations will matter as they can raise the Soul Level of a certain party member. You can also hang out with them at the local bar. We recommend raising everyone's levels equally so that you can investigate their Matrixes at any time.
Equip the right Mystiques
One of the best Soul Hackers 2 tips we can give would be this: equip the right Mystiques.
Mystiques are a type of item that you can equip to each party member in Soul Hackers 2, offering to buff a skill or elemental attack type. Pay attention to which type of elemental attacks the Demons you want to use have, and equip a matching Mystique.
For instance, Ringo's first Demon is Pixie, which has Zio, an electric-type attack. Equip Ringo with the Elec Augment I trait to increase Electricity skills by 10%, thus boosting Zio and other electric-type attacks automatically. Look out for these trait and skill combos, and make sure you're not wasting any slots on traits that don't affect the skills you have available.
Understand elements and target weaknesses
One of the most basic Soul Hackers 2 tips we can give relates to the all-too-familiar weakness chart from the series. We can't stress enough how important this one is in battle. The game tells you, and we're telling you too.
Each Demon and enemy has different weaknesses and strengths against certain elements or types of physical damage. To progress quickly and avoid endless battles, you'll need to take these into account.
Unlike some previous Megami Tensei titles, Soul Hackers 2 shows you easily which types of attacks each Demon is weak to, so pay attention to it!
Work out your party's weaknesses
Just like the enemies you face, your own party members will have their own set of weaknesses and elements they can defend against. Work these out quickly, and equip them accordingly.
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One way to check - outside of battle - what each member is weak against is by equipping Mystiques. If the Mystique can't be equipped, it is because that character is weak to the element. For instance, Saizo cannot be equipped with the Elec Augment, as he is weak to Electric (Zio) attacks.
Upgrade your COMPs and go shopping!
Each party member has their own COMP - a weapon of choice that can channel the equipped demon's power.
These vary in type, but can't be changed. You can upgrade each teammate's COMPs at the COMP Smith store, where there is a choice of upgrades to equip. The Attack boost upgrade costing 2,000 Yen is a good place to start.
There is also the accessory boutique: Zafiro. Here, you can buy accessories that can add to your character's skills. This is on top of the equipable Mystique items.
Fuse demons as you go
Once you unlock the ability to fuse demons - which doesn't take long, thankfully - you should fuse as you continue to play. Get into the habit of it, and how it works, so you can create some formidable options to use in dungeons.
Register every demon
As you get new demons in your party, they will automatically register. However, this registers how they are when you first meet them.
We recommend that once you've levelled them a bit, and got a couple of extra skills on them, register them to the compendium again so that you can transfer more skills during fusion, and get stronger Demons as a result.
For a little more on the latest Shin Megami Tensei RPG, check out our guide on how to fuse demons in Soul Hackers 2. They're insurmountable in your quest, and knowing which are the best (and how to get them) will go a long way.