2006’sDevil Summoner: Raidou Kuzonoha vs. the Soulless Armyis an especially intriguing entry in Atlus’Megatencatalog. Though it’s part of the broad, loosely definedShin Megami TenseiandPersonauniverse, sharing a cast of demons that function in much the same way as in those IP, its unique setting and real-time combat set it apart from its compatriots. It was something of an obscure release back in its day, launching long before series likePersonaexploded in popularity, and therefore might have been missed by many gamers who would have otherwise enjoyed it. Thankfully,RAIDOU Remastered: Mystery of the Soulless Armyis here to provide the definitive version of the 2006 original.
RAIDOU Remasteredis somewhere between a standard remaster and a proper, full-blown remake. It implements countless changes, both big and small, modernizing everything from visuals to combat to exploration, but it still has the bones of a PlayStation 2 game. Indeed, the most impressive thing aboutRAIDOU Remasteredis how it manages to retain the unique spirit of the 2006 game despite its myriad updates. And in this way, the game might as well be the poster child for how to do a remaster right.
It’s something of a strange game, though. Not just because of its ridiculous plot, but because of how it straddles the line between present and future.RAIDOU Remasteredretains all the strengths of its progenitor, and adds plenty of its own, but it also keeps many of the drawbacks. Many gamers may struggle to accept some of these PS2-era quirks, but for those who know what they’re getting into,RAIDOU Remasteredis a fantastic time, and a timely reminder of Atlus' unique voice in the JRPG space.
RAIDOU Remastered: Mystery of the Soulless Army Is a Nostalgic, Shiny, New Action-RPG
Remixing the Megaten Formula
Many of those playingRAIDOU Remasteredwill likely be newcomers to the series, who may be surprised to see a real-timecombat system in an Atlus game, especially one that shares so many surface-level similarities with the developer’s turn-based classics. They might be even more surprised by just how good that real-time combat is.
They aren’t groundbreaking, butRAIDOU Remastered’s hack-and-slash mechanics are satisfying, addictive, and just plain fun. Raidou has a light attack and a heavy attack, and light attacks will refill his Magnetite (MAG) reserves, allowing for the execution of special moves by allied demons. These demons, which can be capturedPokemon-style or fusedSMT-style, can function like boilerplate ally NPCs, making their own decisions in combat and preserving their health as best they can—they’ll even heal and buff Raidou automatically, which makes them especially helpful during hectic battles. But those invested in more tactical gameplay can command them directly through a quasi-turn-based system similar to the likes ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake.
The dynamic between MAG and health management, basic hacking-and-slashing, and demon-commanding gives way to a deceptively deep gameplay loop, letting players be as foolhardy or strategic as they like. The skeleton of the original’s combat remains intact, butRAIDOU Remasteredmakes a number of major changeswhose impact can’t be overstated. Some of the most meaningful departures from the original include full player control of the camera, an aim mode for the gun, automatically regenerating bullets, a jump mechanic, and the ability to have two demons summoned at once. Like the rest ofRAIDOU Remastered’s alterations, these new features and mechanics elevate the original combat sandbox considerably, but don’t meddle with its identity too much.
There are a number of other tweaks to progression, quality-of-life, and presentation, but it’s worth experiencing them for yourself, especially if you’re already familiar with the firstRaidougame. In a nutshell,RAIDOU Remasteredis a good fit for virtually any type of ARPG fan, whether they’ve played the original or not: it strikes the perfect balance between old-school and contemporary.
Though difficult to discuss without getting into spoilers, it’s worth noting the strength ofRAIDOU Remastered’s story, which is effectively unchanged from the original. However, much like the combat, it’s polished through some significant enhancements, the most notable being near-full voice acting.
RAIDOU Remastered Still Feels Like a PS2 Game, for Better and for Worse
If you’re looking for a finely tuned, cutting-edge action-RPG that can compete with the likes ofFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthorStellar Blade, thenRAIDOU Remasteredisn’t likely to meet your needs. It definitely still feels like an older game—just a much better version of one. To that point, there are a number of oddities and rough edges retained from the original 2006 release, like long, often poorly designed boss fights, painfully bland missions, and myriad gameplay quirks that can either make battles trivial or overly frustrating. Make no mistake, these can safely be considered flaws, many of which would be avoided by most major video games of today. Such flaws may be part of the deal, as it were, but I wonder whether Atlus should have kept them, especially considering the legions of other changes the company made.
There’s probably no clear answer to that question, of course: some gamers might consider smoothing down these edges tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater, while others could reasonably argue that without them,RAIDOU Remasteredwould be a better whole. Suffice it to say thatRAIDOU Remasteredis already pushing the limits of what can be reasonably called a remaster, and making greater changes to things like quest or boss design could have sent it into remake territory. This may simply be an instance of taking the good with the bad.
There’s a lot more good than bad inRAIDOU Remastered, fortunately. It’s a wonderful walk down memory lane for fans of the original, and a worthwhile excursion for newer Atlus fans, discovering the studio via games likePersona 3 ReloadandMetaphor: ReFantazio. More than anything, thisnew-and-improvedRAIDOUis easy to love, packed to the brim with charming characters, addictive combat, and a wacky, lore-rich world to sink your teeth into, making it easy to recommend to just about anyone.
WHERE TO PLAY
RAIDOU Remastered: Mystery of the Soulless Armyreleases on May 28, 2025 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. Game Rant was provided with a Steam code for this review.
