Devil Summoner

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This article is about the video game series. For the 1995 video game, see Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner.

Devil Summoner
Xbox Series X/S
First releaseShin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
December 25, 1995[1]
Latest releaseSoul Hackers 2
August 25, 2022[2]
Parent seriesMegami Tensei

Devil Summoner,[a] initially marketed as Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, is a video game franchise developed and primarily published by Atlus. Focused on a series of role-playing video games, Devil Summoner is a spin-off from Atlus' Megami Tensei franchise. The first entry in the series, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, was released in 1995 for the Sega Saturn. The series has seen several more games since, with the most recent main entry being Soul Hackers 2 released in 2022.

Devil Summoner began as a spin-off based on the positively-received Shin Megami Tensei If... (1994). The games, set on an alternate Earth between the 1930s and a fictionalized near-future, featuring a person either related to or holding the Kuzunoha family name using demons to investigate cases involving the supernatural. Created by Kouji Okada, the series was developed by multiple Megami Tensei veterans including artist Kazuma Kaneko and composer Shoji Meguro. While each entry has a different story and time period, it shares a universe and uses recurrent detective story elements.

The series remained exclusive to Japan until the release of Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army in 2006, with all games apart from the original receiving English localizations from Atlus USA. Several entries have been supported by spin-off media and supplementary game materials. The first two Devil Summoner titles were among the best-selling titles for the Saturn. Games in the series have seen generally positive reception internationally.

Titles

Main series

Release timeline
1995Devil Summoner
1996
1997Soul Hackers
1998–2005
2006Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army
2007
2008Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
2009–2021
2022Soul Hackers 2
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner is the first entry in the series, and was released in Japan for the Sega Saturn in 1995.[3] The game was later ported to the PlayStation Portable, released in Japan in 2005.[4] It remains exclusive to Japan.[5] Set in the coastal city of Hirasaki, the game follows a silent protagonist brought back from death into the body of detective Kyouji Kuzunoha as he investigates supernatural activities.[6]
  • Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is the second entry in the series, released in Japan for the Sega Saturn in 1997.[7] An expanded PlayStation port was released in Japan in 1999.[8] Another port for Nintendo 3DS was released in 2012 in Japan, and in the West in 2013.[9][10][11] Set in Amami City, a coastal city created and run by the tech company Algon Soft, the game follows a member of the Spookies hacker group investigating unusual events surrounding Algon's virtual city.[12]
  • Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army is the third entry in the series, and was released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) in 2006 in Japan and North America, and 2007 in Europe.[13][14] The story follows Raidou Kuzunoha XIV's investigation of the Soulless Army, which is threatening Tokyo.[15]
  • Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon is the fourth game in the series, and was released for PS2 in 2008 in Japan and 2009 in North America as a limited release.[16][17] Continuing the story of Raidou Kuzunoha XIV, the storyline follows an investigation into the titular antagonist King Abbadon.[16]
  • Xbox Series X/S. Set in the middle of the 21st century, the plot follows Ringo, an agent of the digital being Aion as she gathers summoners from rival clans to face a world-ending threat.[18][19]

Related media

The characters and art of the original Devil Summoner were used for the mobile pinball game Shin Megami Tensei Pinball: Judgement, released in Japan in 2006 through EZweb.[20][21] Soul Hackers saw two mobile follow-ups in 2008 through EZweb: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Intruder, a tactical role-playing with adventure game elements; and Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers New Generation, a turn-based game set in a virtual world.[22][23][24]

Devil Summoner was adapted into a live-action television series in 1997, with its popularity prompting a second series in 1998.[25] Two novels based on the series written by Ryo Suzukaze were published by the Aspect Books imprint of Media Works in 1996.[26][27] Soul Hackers received two novel spin-offs; Devil Summoner Soul Hackers: Death City Korin by Osamu Makino in April 1998 from Aspect Books, and Devil Summoner Soul Hackers: Nightmare of the Butterfly by Shinya Kasai in May 1999 from Famitsu Bunko.[28][29] A manga adaptation, written by Fumio Sasahara and illustrated by Kazumi Takasawa, was released in two volumes in March and August 1999 by Kadokawa Shoten.[30][31]

The Raidou Kuzunoha duology saw multiple media expansions. A spin-off novel called Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Dead Messengers, written by Boogey Toumon and illustrated by

CD drama, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the One-Eyed God, was released by Frontier Works during 2009.[36][37]

Recurring elements

Rather than the post-apocalyptic setting of the main

Taishō period. The storylines follow the fourteenth trained devil summoner to take on the title of Raidou Kuzunoha, facing supernatural threats in Tokyo while working at the Narumi Detective Agency.[16][40]

The first two titles use a traditional turn-based battle system taken from the main Megami Tensei series, with the player character and a team of up to five demons taking part in battles from a first-person perspective while navigating both an overworld map and dungeons.[6][41] Soul Hackers 2 again uses a turn-based battle system, taking elements of exploiting enemy weaknesses for extra turns from the main Shin Megami Tensei series.[42] The Raidou Kuzunoha duology shifts to an action-based battle system, navigating pre-rendered town and dungeon environments.[43][44] The protagonist fights in separate battle arenas with two assigned demons through random encounters, with Kuzuhona capturing demons during battles in the first game, and persuading them to join him through a conversation system in the second. An assigned demon can also be used to solve environmental puzzles.[43][45]

A recurring element is the player's relationship with their demons. While demons are acquired in different ways across the games, a demon's alignment and actions in battle are all play a role in how they respond to commands. If a demon uses a skill they have low affinity for too many times, they will not respond as well to commands. Recruited demons can also be fused into new demons, carrying over particular traits from their predecessors.[6][41][43] A resource called Magnatite or its equivalent is needed to keep demons summoned or powers different elements of attacks appears in multiple entries.[6][41][45] A recurring character throughout the series is Dr Victor, a person who takes charge of demon fusion and takes on different appearances throughout the series.[46]

History and development

Following the success of the

fifth-generation home video game console, and the first Megami Tensei game to feature 3D graphics.[50][51] The staff included Okada as director, recurring writer Ryutaro Ito, and artist Kazuma Kaneko.[47][52] Following the success of Devil Summoner, development of a sequel moved forward, drawing inspiration from the potential dangers of the internet. Okada and Kaneko returned to their respective roles, while Shogo Isogai created the scenario based on Kaneko's draft.[38]

Following the release of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne in 2003, producer Kazuyuki Yamai wanted a project for his team that would offer new challenges, deciding to make a new Devil Summoner title based on staff feedback.[53][54] Kaneko returned as character designer.[55] A sequel was produced shortly afterwards, continuing Raidou Kuzunoha's story while being a standalone entry for newcomers, with Kaneko returning as both character designer and producer.[53][56] It saw mechanical improvements and additions taken from the main series.[53] A sequel to Soul Hackers was long requested by fans, though the original game was growing in age and losing mainstream recognition. Eiji Ishida and Mitsuru Hirata, who had previously worked on multiple entries in the Megami Tensei series, began production on a sequel with reworked mechanics and a new art style led by Shirow Miwa.[57][58]

While a release overseas was rumored at the time of its release, the original Devil Summoner remains exclusive to Japan, with its age compared to other titles keeping it from being released during the PS2 era.

NIS America,[11] the original Raidou Kuzunoha by Koei,[14] and Soul Hackers 2 by Sega.[62]

Music

The original game's music was composed by Toshiko Tasaki and Tsukasa Masuko, with several tracks being repurposed during production or switching role.[63] For Soul Hackers, Tasaki and Masuko were joined by Shoji Meguro; Meguro focused on the game's cyberpunk themes and atmosphere, lamenting his lack of creative freedom compared to his work on Maken X.[64][65] Meguro returned for the Raidou Kuzunoha duology, using brass and jazz instrumentation to emulate the 1920s alongside his signature guitar-heavy "MegaTen sound".[60][66][56] The music of Soul Hackers 2 is composed by the music group Monaca.[18]

Reception

Japanese and Western review scores
As of January 20, 2023.
Game Year Famitsu Metacritic
Devil Summoner 1995 35/40[1] —
Soul Hackers 1997 34/40[67] 74/100[68]
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army 2006 30/40[69] 74/100[70]
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon 2008 32/40[71] 79/100[72]
Soul Hackers 2 2022 38/40[2] 74/100[73]

The first two games were among the best-selling titles on the Sega Saturn in Japan.[74] Technology Tell, in a retrospective article on the Megami Tensei franchise, noting it as standing out from the rest of the franchise due to not having a post-apocalyptic setting.[5]

Reception of the first Raidou Kuzunoha game was generally positive, with critics noting its break from the traditional turn-based gameplay of other Megami Tensei series, though noting some problems caused by the new elements.[43][75][76] Raidou Kuzunoha 2 saw a stronger reception, with critics praising it as an improvement over the first game.[44][77][78]

References

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Notes

  1. ^ Debiru Samanā (Japanese: デビルサマナー)
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