Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
A 1997 cyberpunk RPG about hackers and demon negotiation.
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is a role-playing game from 1997, developed by Atlus. It is the second game in the Devil Summoner series, which belongs to the larger Megami Tensei franchise. Atlus first published it for the Sega Saturn, then ported it to the PlayStation in 1999 and the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. The 3DS version was the first in the series to get an English localization.
The game is set in the fictional Japanese city of Amami, a high-tech metropolis. The main character is a young man in a hacker group called the Spookies. He gets into the closed beta of Paradigm X, an online game meant to link Amami’s citizens. Inside, he meets supernatural forces and, with the Spookies, investigates demon attacks across the city. He is aided by Nemissa, a demon who takes over the body of his friend Hitomi Tono.
Development started in 1996, after the first Devil Summoner succeeded. Producer Kouji Okada and character designer Kazuma Kaneko returned. The idea came from the internet boom after Windows 95, with Okada and Kaneko seeing risks in the internet being used for control and the chaos from system failures. Kaneko created the initial world view, and writer Shogo Isogai handled detailed story scenes. Much work went into balancing gameplay. Future Persona designer Shigenori Soejima designed sub-characters, item graphics, and the main character’s dialogue portraits. The team tried showing different protagonists’ viewpoints instead of a single perspective. Kaneko used a “devil” motif in some character clothing, later reused for Isamu in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. Nemissa’s design was inspired by her self-centered, childlike personality. The main protagonist was not a trained Summoner like in the first game; his use of the GUMP symbolized passing responsibilities from the Kuzunoha line. Amami City was not based on any real city.
In gameplay, players explore dungeons in first-person view, solving puzzles and fighting demons in turn-based battles. The party always has one or two human characters and can summon up to four allied demons. Players get demons by talking to enemy demons and negotiating, which may involve answering questions, intimidating them, or giving items. Demons can be fused into one, inheriting abilities from the originals. In battle, players manage demons based on their personalities, alignments, and abilities: friendly demons prefer healing o
- Developer
- Atlus
- Publisher
- Atlus
- Platforms
- Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Nintendo 3DS
- Release Year
- 1997 (Saturn), 1999 (PlayStation), 2012 (3DS)
- Genre
- Role-playing video game
- Series
- Devil Summoner (part of Megami Tensei)
Lore & Background
Soul Hackers takes place in the fictional Amami City, a technologically advanced Japanese metropolis. The main protagonist, a member of a hacker group called the Spookies, gains access to the closed beta for Paradigm X, an online game designed to connect the citizens of Amami. While inside, the protagonist encounters supernatural forces and must work with the Spookies to investigate demon attacks across the city. Aiding him is Nemissa, a demon who possesses the body of his friend Hitomi Tono.
Development began in 1996 after the success of the original Devil Summoner. Producer Kouji Okada and character designer Kazuma Kaneko returned. The initial concept was inspired by the internet boom following Windows 95, with Okada and Kaneko seeing potential dangers of the internet as a means of control. The music was composed by Shoji Meguro, Toshiko Tasaki, and Tsukasa Masuko, with Meguro focusing on a cyberpunk atmosphere by hybridizing jazz and techno styles.
The game features first-person dungeon exploration and turn-based battles. Players can summon up to four allied demons, negotiate with enemy demons, and fuse demons to inherit abilities. Demon personalities and alignments affect their behavior in battle, and players must manage magnetite as fuel for summoned demons.
Reader's Guide
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers holds significance as a bridge between classic Megami Tensei dungeon crawlers and later entries in the series. Its cyberpunk setting and focus on hacking and virtual reality were innovative for 1997, reflecting contemporary anxieties about the internet. The game's demon negotiation and fusion systems became staples of the franchise. Although the original Saturn and PlayStation versions were never released overseas, the 2012 Nintendo 3DS port introduced the game to a Western audience, garnering generally positive reception despite some criticism of visuals and music. The game's legacy continued with a sequel, Soul Hackers 2, released in August 2022. Its influence can be seen in later Atlus titles that blend modern settings with supernatural elements.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally released for the Sega Saturn on November 13, 1997.
- A supplementary disc titled Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers - Akuma Zensho 2 was released on December 23, 1997.
- The Nintendo 3DS version was the first to be localized into English.
- The opening theme song for the 3DS version, '#X', was composed and arranged by Ryota Kozuka.
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