Given its huge PS2-era catalogue, Atlus’ determination to restore Satan Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Military is slightly of a unusual one. One thing of an experimental foray into the area of motion RPGs, it is not essentially a recreation that springs to thoughts when taking a look again at the developer’s maximum prolific console technology.
However perhaps that is why it is getting a 2d probability. For Atlus’ fashionable target market — those that were given began with the Personality collection, possibly — Raidou provides a novel glimpse into the studio’s previous, and, in the end, it is a story that is worthy of being retold.
In spite of its identify, Raidou Remastered: The Thriller of the Soulless Military is largely a remake. Whilst it does persist with the unique recreation’s tale and construction, the visuals were given an entire overhaul the use of three-D belongings, and core gameplay programs were considerably transformed.
The result’s a shockingly spectacular revival — a a ways cry from 2021’s disappointingly elementary Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocture HD Remaster.
You play because the titular Raidou Kuzunoha — a freshly established Satan Summoner who trips to the Eastern capital in pursuit of doubtless sinister forces. Mainly, Raidou’s a peacekeeper with ties to those that give protection to the rustic from the shadows, using Shin Megami Tensei’s same old roster of demons to lend a hand in his investigations.
It is an intriguing premise proper from the off, and the whole plot twists and turns in some actually bizarre instructions. Out of doors of a couple of slightly flat characters, we might say that the tale holds up lovely smartly. It isn’t what we might name a in particular tight narrative, however they only are not making oddball plotlines like this anymore, and so the entire thing finally ends up feeling moderately memorable.
Raidou’s story is instructed in episodic model — entire with identify playing cards for each and every bankruptcy — which creates a significant sense of tempo throughout what’s a rather quick marketing campaign. Certainly, in comparison to Atlus’ newer outings, Raidou Remastered’s 30-ish hour runtime is refreshingly brisk.
There are two aspects to the identify’s construction. The primary boils all the way down to detective paintings, as our caped protagonist hits the streets in an effort to determine leads at the present case. The second one, against this, comes to dungeon delving into a type of spirit realm the place demons roam loose.
For Remastered, the investigation aspect of items has been streamlined. Purpose markers and extra outstanding hints all however erase the unique recreation’s obtuseness, which we predict is almost certainly for the most productive.
Granted, taking part in the position of a detective is arguably extra pleasant in case you are in fact having to believe your choices, however Raidou used to be by no means in point of fact about unearthing clues and accurately wondering witnesses. If the rest, the target markers simply make the revel in much less tedious; you might be not combing complete districts simply to search out the only NPC that triggers the following a part of the tale.
Having stated that, there are occasions when the discharge displays its age. Backtracking turns into a slight annoyance afterward as Raidou bounces between places for the sake of only a few traces of debate, and the (totally not obligatory, fortunately) aspect quests are little greater than a tick list of in large part uninteresting chores.
This complaint would have nearly no doubt persevered thru to the sport’s fight device, had Atlus no longer redesigned the entire thing for Remastered. Again in 2006, the fundamental motion fight used to be a significant sticking level for many critics, with repetitive hack-and-slash mechanics all however cancelling out the sport’s cool demon-based concepts.
Right here, battlefields were reworked into absolutely three-D arenas, and Raidou controls like a right kind motion persona, boasting mixtures, counters, and particular strikes which are mapped to button shortcuts. On a foundational stage on my own, fight has been dramatically stepped forward each in capability and really feel.
The device itself has all the time been fascinating, however Remastered’s tweaks permit its strengths to in any case shine. In a struggle, Raidou is joined by way of as much as two demon partners, who’re managed by way of the AI. Because the Satan Summoner, it is your activity to care for momentum; your usual sword assaults generate SP, which fuels your demons’ skills — and it is thru those skills that you can exploit enemy weaknesses.
Hitting a weak point briefly staggers the opponent, and in flip, Raidou will get to lengthen his sword mixtures and get better but extra SP, growing a lovely loop of destruction. It is a device that continues to be moderately distinctive to at the present time, the place the participant acts as a type of catalyst for his or her allies, versus being the primary injury broker.
And naturally, that is the place construction a crew of all-conquering demons turns into a concern. Raidou can ensnare enemies of a decrease stage than him throughout fights and repurpose them as allies, however fusing demons in combination is the place the actual magic occurs.
Just like in Personality, a demon’s abilities and characteristics may also be transferred to a brand new shape, letting you experiment with and create a wide variety of robust companions. Atlus has clearly been repurposing this fusion stuff for many years, however the sense of development continues to be so addictive.
It is usually essential for Raidou to collect a numerous crew out of doors of fight. Right through investigations, demons with explicit skills are had to affect other people or gadgets, resulting in extra pronounced relationships between our hero and his quirky partners.
We are not announcing that Raidou’s demons are nice characters, however small interactions and the atypical line of comical discussion instills some welcome persona. The demons really feel a lot more concerned, and therefore enticing, than they do in Atlus’ different works, to the purpose the place you nearly really feel dangerous about throwing them into the fusion blender.
Conclusion
Raidou Remastered offers one among Atlus’ maximum experimental PS2 outings a deserved 2d probability. Higher described as a remake, an enormous listing of enhancements, together with a perfectly transformed fight device, make this a must-try for the developer’s fashionable target market. Raidou stays a uniquely bizarre and compelling motion RPG, and that is its definitive shape.
