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Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers- top 5 greatest RPG of all time?
- Thread starter Kimawolf
- Start date
Though I liked it overall, by no means in my top 5. Furthermore, I disliked the gameplay too much to have enjoyed it as much as I could have, which is unfortunate as I loved the setting, premise, soundtrack, and art direction. I preferred SMT IV among the 3DS releases (haven't tried IV: A yet).
cj_iwakura
Member
Mag is incredibly easy to break. Negotiating gives lots, and the exchange center will have you swimming in cash.
Also, only bring a full party to boss fights. Nemissa and Zoma should get you through most fights.
Also, only bring a full party to boss fights. Nemissa and Zoma should get you through most fights.
decoyplatypus
Member
Soul Hackers is my second favorite SMT game. The setting, music, and pacing push the right buttons for me. I didn't realize it got such mixed reactions around here.
cj_iwakura
Member
Old SMT games tend to get a lot of heat, especially due to Persona's success and the expectations it set.
Spieler Eins
Member
It might have an initial bonus for me because it was my first SMT (since the series was even more niche in EU before Persona), but so far it might also be my favorite. I really did enjoy the cyberpunk/90s vision of the digital future (particulary the OST is goat). I should probably replay this, now that I have more experience with the series.
Dragon1893
Member
It's definitely up there, one of my favs in the SMT franchise, which is my favorite franchise of all time. TOP 5 of all time might be stretching it a bit, though any best rpg list worth its salt has to be dominated by SMT anyway.
And yeah, I need to replay this.
And yeah, I need to replay this.
What I love in particular is that the cyberpunk feel fits the presentation style of the Saturn/PSX era like a glove. Cheesy render clips, the weird reverb heavy sound design a lot of game from that period had, the wavy LSD backgrounds, the trippy museum dungeon...
It has plenty of rough edges, but the mood and style of the game easily exceeds whatever gameplay flaws it might have. I sometimes pop it in just to immerse myself in it.
I don't think that a cyberpunk RPG made today would have a similar feel to it. It has a ton of elements that the whole vaporwave scene seems to be inspired by.
It's not just futurism, but retrofuturism.
It has plenty of rough edges, but the mood and style of the game easily exceeds whatever gameplay flaws it might have. I sometimes pop it in just to immerse myself in it.
I don't think that a cyberpunk RPG made today would have a similar feel to it. It has a ton of elements that the whole vaporwave scene seems to be inspired by.
It's not just futurism, but retrofuturism.
Cipher Peon
Banned
I really like the game, but it's way too flawed for me to be on my Top 5 RPGs.
The game is poorly paced, extraordinarily and absurdly long, doesn't do enough for accessibility, only 1 interesting character, and isn't as... grandiose(?) as I would like. I am ambivalent about its aesthetic, but it sure does make good use of it with its story.
It's a fine little RPG that I enjoyed a lot and hold a special place for it in my heart, but it's too flawed to be anything but.
The game is poorly paced, extraordinarily and absurdly long, doesn't do enough for accessibility, only 1 interesting character, and isn't as... grandiose(?) as I would like. I am ambivalent about its aesthetic, but it sure does make good use of it with its story.
It's a fine little RPG that I enjoyed a lot and hold a special place for it in my heart, but it's too flawed to be anything but.
Caelestis
Member
I remember wanting to play this for probably 10 years before it finally came here. I ended up enjoying it, but felt like it came a little too late? Even with improvements on 3DS the gameplay felt a little sluggish and I am sure if I'd play it originally when it came out it would never be an issue. Now just been spoiled by snappy gameplay design/menues/etc. I really did like the characters, story and atmosphere though. Wish more games used a similar cyberpunk style.
cj_iwakura
Member
Let me guess. Nemissa? I like the whole cast, personally. Devil Summoner always felt like the occult of SMT mixed with the cast focus of Persona.
I clocked in like 40 hours, which is on par with most PS1 RPGs I have played
My biggest complaint with the game is that it is too easy, but it's not completely brain dead easy. I wish SMT would have dungeons like this again. Or like Strange Journey's
Mattakuevan
Member
Not even close, not even in my top 25.
That said, it is still a wonderful game. I do like it quite a bit for what it does.
That said, it is still a wonderful game. I do like it quite a bit for what it does.
The Cartographer
Member
The Devil Summoner series must return!
I wonder if Deep Silver can do something about the missing PAL version of Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon.
I wonder if Deep Silver can do something about the missing PAL version of Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
It's in my top... uh... 30, maybe? It was a good game, but not quite as good as I was hoping.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
I think it blows away the other Atlus games of that era like Persona 1 & Persona 2, but it's not as good as some of the newer stuff like SMT: Nocturne, Persona 4, and Devil Survivor. Definitely worth playing if you like cyberpunk and RPGs.
EVA UNIT 01
Member
YES DAT THEME
Considering the time it came out, I consider it pretty damn good. However, having playing it around the time it came out on 3DS...I really enjoyed the themes, characters and music but the encounter rate for some of the dungeons near the end was pretty crazy and I was ready to be done with it.
I feel like there were some systems I didn't understand about the game either. I also recall leveling up a Stat up a bunch for the MC but then realizing I should've put all my STR into Gun or something,
I feel like there were some systems I didn't understand about the game either. I also recall leveling up a Stat up a bunch for the MC but then realizing I should've put all my STR into Gun or something,
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
I don't know that I would put it in the top 5 but that game blew me away when I played it on the 3DS. Much better than Persona 1 & 2 despite being from the same era, it's one of the best SMT games for sure. And as a 90s kid, a jrpg fan and a cyberpunk fan, that game hit all the right notes for me. The characters (Nemissa!) are a lot of fun and the 3DS version is a very solid port. The hacks are a clever addition for a game about hacking. The original and new cinematics are definitely pretty badass.
It's the SMT game that I would recommend the most after Persona 3 and 4.
It's the SMT game that I would recommend the most after Persona 3 and 4.
this
are we forgetting the older star oceans, shadow hearts series, personas, nocturne, etc?
QuantumZebra
Member
Top 5 most ridiculous titles of all time? Yes.
Top 5 JRPG of all time, much less RPG?
Hell, it's not even top 5 SMT
Top 5 JRPG of all time, much less RPG?
Hell, it's not even top 5 SMT
cj_iwakura
Member
OniBarubary
Banned
People sleeping on DDS too much in this thread for me to be comfortable.
it definitely is a game of it's time and I love it for it. Most likely my favorit smt game (haven't played all of them yet). But thanks to it's cyberpunk aesthetics it will always have a place in my heart
don't waste nemissa's skill points on anything but magic.
don't waste nemissa's skill points on anything but magic.
StereoVsn
Member
I really love Soul Hackers. It's one of my favorite RPGs on all system and top 5 3DS (haven't played on PSX). That 80s-90s cyberpunk vibe, interesting chars, good story, and pretty damn good battle system work perfectly together. Yes, some systems are obtuse and overall you can see that it's an older game but it doesn't matter, it's a classic.
See, that I definitely would disagree with. It might not make my top 3-5 RPG's of all time, but it would comfortably make my list of top MegaTen's. Not far behind Strange Journey and Nocturne.
I've had this in my 3DS backlog for ages, and you all have convinced me to finally start it up once I finish SMT4
Any important tips/tricks I should know before jumping in?
Don't go all out all of the time. Sometimes it makes more sense to save MAG instead if you are just walking around.
Zeed's are essentially free and 100% loyal.
cj_iwakura
Member
My top 3 are Nocturne, Persona 2 (EP), and then Soul Hackers.
Cipher Peon
Banned
Yeah, Nemissa!
I don't remember her name very much, which is never a great sign, but I liked her for who she was and thought she was a lot of fun. And she got a great send off, too.
She's the first SMT character that actually came across as a character for me, with the exception of Apocalypse, I guess, since it does the whole Persona 4 "we're all friends hooray!" thing.
Yeah. It's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long.I clocked in like 40 hours, which is on par with most PS1 RPGs I have played
My biggest complaint with the game is that it is too easy, but it's not completely brain dead easy. I wish SMT would have dungeons like this again. Or like Strange Journey's
The problem I have with Soul Hackers' length is that I never felt the game justified it. The story felt extraordinarily stretched out and I felt like the game could have been just fine with less than half of that. It was felt especially hard in the dungeons that focused primarily on making you go through extraordinarily complex routes to reach dead ends. Not to mention the teleporting dungeons :I
It's a fantastic Megaten, specially thanks to Nemissa and the Phantom Society. Finnegan is definitively a amazing antagonist, almost as good as the King Leo from Persona 2. The gameplay is a bit outdated, but the 3DS port helps to improve it.
And maybe has the best demon negotation in the series (just SMT IV Apocalypse can be at the par), it's too random and meta and I love it.
Top 5 to me? No, but it's still an awesome game.
And maybe has the best demon negotation in the series (just SMT IV Apocalypse can be at the par), it's too random and meta and I love it.
Top 5 to me? No, but it's still an awesome game.
encephalon
Member
I really like the feel and atmosphere of the game. I don't know about the 3DS or PS1 versions (which I believe has a revised soundtrack, but I could be wrong), but the Saturn version is probably one of the better JRPGs released for that console. The demon loyalty system is a hell of a lot less of a pain in the ass than the original Devil Summoner (where it is awful), but I still think it's unnecessary.
As far as ranking among SMT games goes, well, I guess it's better than the original Persona or its predecessor. The first person dungeons are a hell of a lot better than those two games. It's probably more visually interesting than Persona 4. I kind of wish the series would revisit some of its aesthetic.
I'm finally wrapping up SMT III as I play P5, so maybe I'll find the time to go back and play the PS1 versions of SMT I and II.
As far as ranking among SMT games goes, well, I guess it's better than the original Persona or its predecessor. The first person dungeons are a hell of a lot better than those two games. It's probably more visually interesting than Persona 4. I kind of wish the series would revisit some of its aesthetic.
I'm finally wrapping up SMT III as I play P5, so maybe I'll find the time to go back and play the PS1 versions of SMT I and II.