Namco Ships SoulCalibur III for PS2

By Digital Trends Staff October 25, 2005

Game publisher Namco today announced they were shipping fighting game SoulCalibur III to retail outlets in North America. The game, which is priced at $49.99, is rated T for Teen and available only for Sony’s Playstation 2.

SoulCalibur III is the latest installment in one of the more popular franchises for Sony’s video game system. New features to this version include the introduction of three new characters, a character creation system that allows customization of clothing, accessories, fighting styles and weapons and new gameplay modes such as traditional gameplay/strategy hybrid and a mode which allows â€œspecial objectivesâ€ to be completed.

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“With three all-new characters, unique gameplay modes and an updated fighting engine, SOULCALIBUR III delivers on the expectations of being one of the most respected and distinguished fighting games of all time,” said Yoshi Niki, business unit director at Namco Hometek Inc. “In this installment, players can create personalized characters with unique fighting styles and personalities to truly immerse themselves in the SOULCALIBUR universe.”

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Soul Hackers 2 devs took design inspiration from Nier: Automata and John Wick

Ringo posing in Soul Hackers 2.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is one of the many Shin Megami Tensei spin-offs that takes the series in a different direction. While the Persona games put the SMT formula into a contemporary school setting, Soul Hackers 2 takes place in a more technological era. The original Soul Hackers put technology, the occult, cyberpunk, and The Goonies into a mixing pot full of demon essence and birthed a loving cult following.

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Soul Hackers 2: Release date, trailers, gameplay, and more

Ringo reaches out to a digital ghost in Soul Hackers 2.

Atlus has arguably taken the crown as the fan-favorite JRPG developer in the modern era. Though slow to gain popularity at first, Persona 5 cemented that series as essential playing for fans of the genre thanks to the intuitive and rewarding combat system, a great mix of dungeon crawling and social elements, and a healthy dose of style you can't get anywhere else. However, Persona is just one branch of JRPG that Atlus has been making for years, including the series that one was spun off of, Shin Megami Tensei, and also Soul Hackers.

One of the other SMT spinoffs, Soul Hackers only had one entry back in 1997, leaving a 25-year gap before a sequel was announced in 2022. There's plenty to be excited about if you've enjoyed this studio's recent releases, so here's a full breakdown of everything we know about Soul Hackers 2.

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Soul Hackers 2 splits the difference between Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei V

Ringo, Arrow, and other party members stare at something in the distance in Soul Hackers 2.

Atlus has perfected the JRPG and is now reveling in it. Persona 5 is one of the best games of the 2010s, thanks to its endearing cast of characters and impeccably stylish presentation. Meanwhile, Shin Megami Tensei V was no slouch in 2021 as it provided a dark and hardcore demon-driven RPG experience. After demoing the game at Summer Game Fest Play Days, t’s clear that Atlus has found a clear sci-fi middle ground with Soul Hackers 2.
Souls Hackers 2 is a tried-and-true Atlus JRPG with dungeon crawling, casual friend hangouts and conversations, and polished weakness-driven JRPG combat. It hits many of the same notes as Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei V, so it won’t change what you think about the genre. Still, if Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V had won you over to this new era of Atlus JRPGs, then Souls Hackers 2 will give you dozens of more hours of JRPG enjoyment.

What’s here for Persona fans?
My demo of Soul Hackers 2 began in the Hangout, where protagonist Ringo and her party can hang out and heal between dungeon-crawling escapades. Then, I proceeded to go into the futuristic sci-fi city, buy some weapons, gear, and healing items from eccentric shopkeepers, and get a drink with my party members named Arrow.
After Ringo and Arrow got to know each other better by discussing what they liked to drink, they gained Soul Levels to make them stronger. Right off the bat, this was all very reminiscent of Persona with the expectation of the futuristic sci-fi setting. The UI in and out of battles takes a cue from Persona 5 by trying to look very stylish, though Soul Hackers 2 leans more into a digitized style than Persona 5’s luscious anime-style menus.
I didn’t spend enough time with this part of the game or the small character moments within it to get a feeling of whether or not its narrative will come together as well as Persona 5. Still, that game got me to fall in love with an eccentric cast of high-school cliche characters, so Soul Hackers 2 has the potential to do the same with a cast that leans into sci-fi stereotypes.