Summary
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Armywas a late addition to the PS2’s already large library of RPGs.Later still was its 2009 North American sequel,Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon, which was played even less.
These games were long thought to be lost byMegami Tenseifans, and while the jury is still out on the sequel, the first game has been gloriously remastered for modern consoles.Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Armyisone of the slickest Atlus gamesthey have ever re-released.How is it better?Let’s dive in and explore a wide range of additions and changes in the remaster.
7Difficulty Options
Become A Sleuth
Let’s start with the title screen, where players can select from four difficulties: Sleuth, Gumshoe, Private Eye, and Truth Seeker. Of those four, Sleuth is the most significant innovation, which increases attack power, reduces enemy power, and allows players to retry battles if they fall.
For such a story-heavy game, it’s nice to seeRPGs with difficulty optionslike this. Sleuth is there for players who want to use it, and it will not detract from the game’s other modes. Additionally, difficulties can be adjusted at any time, allowing players to experiment freely.
6New Voice-Overs
They Can Talk!
After the title screen, the biggest difference fans of the original will notice is the voice acting. Going back toclassic PS2 RPGswith mostly text-only scripts can be difficult for those who don’t want to read everything.
Now, almost every piece of dialogue is voiced inRaidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army. Players can even let scenes go on autoplay if they just want to sit back and watch. Raidou is still a voiceless character, but that’s par for the course for mostMegami Tenseigames.
5No More Random Encounters
It’s Easier To Find The Demons You Want
The random encounter rate was incredibly high in the original release, making progression difficult. The remaster addresses this issue by introducing demons that appear in both towns and dungeons.
Players can easily avoid demons if they don’t want to engage in battle, which is always a good RPG feature.This also makes it easier to find the demons that players want to recruit, just like it became easier inlaterPokemongamesto find the right Pokemon.On a related note, demons not in the party will gain EXP, making it easier to level the team up.
4Fusion Boosts
Now With More Demons!
Fusing demons together is a standard trait inMegami Tenseigames, andRaidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Armyfeatures several improvements to this system. The original game had about seventy demons to recruit, while the remake boasts over a hundred.
Multiple demons of the same type can be recruited and stored for fusing, which is different than mostMegami Tenseigames, includingPersona.It’s also easier to get the results players want regarding skills, and overall, it’s just a better and more streamlined process.
3Boosted Combat
From Fluid Strikes To More Room To Move Around
The combat is a vast overhaul from the original game. It takes some cues from the original’s sequel,Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon, along with otherMegami Tenseigames. Unlike most entries, what set this game apart originally was the action gameplay instead of turn-based combat, although it wasn’t as tight as otherPS2 action RPGs.
The remaster addresses this by making combat feel more fluid between sword skills, gun skills, and dodging in a larger set of battle arenas. Also, Raidou can be assisted by two demons in battle instead of one. Players can drain MAG from enemies and capture demons more easily, too.
2An Overhauled Map
From A Mini Version To Sited Objectives
The battle arenas are bigger, but so are the areas that players will visit elsewhere. The locations are the same but slightly altered to be less claustrophobic, which makes the game feel slightly more modern.
The best thing about these revamped areas is that players can easily fast travel between them using Express Streetcars. Getting around was a pain before, but this makes backtracking a cinch. Also, save points allow easy travel to locations like the game’s fusion area, Goumaden.
1More Save Options
Record Your Investigations
Most classic RPGs on the PS2 and other systemsbefore the HD erarequired save pointsto storedata. While save points still exist inRaidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, they are not the only way to record data.
There is now an autosave function, which is helpful in case players forget to save after some time, like when they travel to other locations. Better than that, players can use Quicksave at any time. Using Quicksave repeatedly will automatically erase the previous save, so players should be aware of this before proceeding.
