REVIEW: ‘RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army’ Sports Style But No Substance

RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army is the first remaster in the fan-favorite Devil Summoner series. Originally released from Atlus as Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, the game diverges from the other titles in the series in many ways. These new changes make it a standout game among the rest, but they are also where some of its flaws lie. Regardless, the remaster makes the experience significantly more engaging for modern players.

RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army notably isn’t set in a modern, post-apocalyptic setting like other mainline SMT games. Instead, the game is set in Japan’s Taisho era. Players step into the shoes of Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th, a high school student by day and Devil Summoner by night, charged with defending the Capital from spiritual threats and demonic forces.

After a grueling first trial in RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army, you begin your duties, which get quickly complicated when a strange heiress walks into your detective agency and asks to be killed. Moments later, she’s kidnapped by military forces, and you’re plunged into a conspiracy involving the titular “Soulless Army,” mecha-like constructs powered by forbidden science and spiritual energy. The narrative is full of twists and turns as players unravel the true nature behind a conspiracy and the mysterious group wreaking havoc in town.

RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army’s narrative is engaging.

The most entertaining parts of RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army are its many comedic moments, thanks to its funny characters and mouthy demons. Outside these moments, though, the story is very derivative of other games in the genre, and it takes quite some time to get started despite the game having a shorter playtime compared to other Devil Summoner games. This makes it a lot less engaging and harder to stay interested.

Gameplay-wise, RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Souless Army distinguishes itself from its counterparts by opting for a real-time combat system. Combat is satisfyingly fast-paced and fluid. Players can attack with a sword, shoot enemies with a revolver loaded with various bullet types, and summon two demons at a time to fight alongside them. The combat system also makes turn-based players feel at home, as between slashes and gunshots, you can command demons to perform specific actions or switch out demons on the fly, resulting in a very versatile and satisfying combat experience.

The demon recruiting system, which sees players approach demons and capture them with a mashing minigame, is the simplest and perhaps the best way to recruit demons in RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army. You don’t have to do much as long as Raidou is of the same level or above the level of the target demon. Like other SMT games, players can fuse demons to make stronger ones, making progression and combat easier. It also offers deep customization. Choosing the right demon for the situation becomes a game, especially when dealing with elemental weaknesses or support skills.

The game now features 3D arenas, which enable more movement options like dodging and jumping.

The remaster makes RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army incredibly more approachable and accessible for modern audiences with new overhauls. The ever-annoying random encounter system has been removed, and enemies are now visible and avoidable. Players can now lock on to targets. Autosave and quick save have been added, along with fast travel and a better UI, among other improvements. All these new changes make the remaster worth it alone for fans of the series.

However, gameplay has its fair share of flaws in RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army. Fighting enemies can get repetitive quickly, as combat scenarios outside boss fights are the same throughout most of the game. Additionally, some boss fights, while creative in their own right, can get very tedious as they have large health bars or gimmicks that make battles longer than they should be. Lastly, while the arenas look significantly better in the remaster, navigating them can still be challenging, as players often have to do a lot of backtracking to progress.

Visually, RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army looks significantly improved compared to its original version. Models and environments have become more detailed, vibrant, and colorful. However, while the visuals have undergone an undeniable upgrade, some stages, especially interior arenas, still appear dull, lack color, and remain reminiscent of the game’s older version. Performance-wise, the game runs incredibly well on PlayStation 5, with a crisp and stable framerate and no glitches, bugs, or visual issues.

RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army has some flaws.

RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army is among the most unique Atlus JRPGs in the Devil Summoner series. It might not have the polish of modern SMT titles, but it makes up for that with originality, rich humor, charm, and atmosphere. For players seeking something unique and different from the genre norm, the game delivers, and the remaster enhances the experience in all the right ways.

RAIDOU Remastered The Mystery of the Soulless Army is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store.