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I’m an enormous Atlus fan, and when Raidou Remastered: The Thriller of the Soulless Military was revealed again in March, I used to be completely over the moon. See, I by no means bought an opportunity to play the unique JRPG – which first launched on the PS2 – however had all the time hoped to get in on some demon-filled investigative motion.
Evaluate data
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Swap 2
Accessible on: Nintendo Swap 2, Nintendo Swap, PS5, PS4, Xbox Sequence X and Sequence S, PC
Launch date: June 19, 2025
And Atlus has really served up a full-blown remaster of Raidou’s first journey, bringing the Satan Summoner’s story to simply about each fashionable platform with full voice performing, fleshed-out 3D environments, enhanced visuals and audio, in addition to advanced fight.
Atlus has produced banger after banger for many years, together with a few of the best RPGs like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Persona 5 Royal. So, can the Switch 2 game Raidou Remastered rise to those self same heights
Effectively, maybe not fairly. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless a unbelievable remaster. Right here’s what I fabricated from the sport after spending greater than 30 hours taking part in it on Nintendo Switch 2.
The place lies man, so lies darkish
In Nineteen Thirties Japan, a younger woman approaches the Narumi Detective Company with a surprising request. She needs you to kill her. However earlier than you possibly can hear precisely why, she’s kidnapped by mysterious people in purple capes.
So, in steps Raidou Kuzunoha XIV, an apprentice detective on the Narumi Detective Company who goals to serve the capital – not solely by serving to residents with their day-to-day wants, but additionally by maintaining issues in verify throughout the Darkish Realm – a curious juncture between the actual world and the netherworld, the place demons lurk.
And now it’s right down to Raidou and his allied demons to resolve the thriller of the kidnapped woman… which, in flip, leads you to unveil a far larger conspiracy than you may ever think about.
After all, I don’t wish to give away too many particulars plot-wise. However I can guarantee you that there are many twists and turns because the thriller unravels – and that thriller stays gripping all through. As well as, you don’t have to take a seat by means of hours of heat up earlier than the story actually will get going.
Finest bit
The perfect a part of any Megami Tensei title is witnessing the usually wacky and wild nature of the assorted demons you encounter. At one level, I ran right into a deeply troubled demon named Ippon-Datara who felt compelled, determined even, to assemble a wall blocking my path. It was solely after I known as him silly, and bought an earful about consuming brains with a spoon that he ultimately cleared the way in which. Basic SMT.
Yep, you’re flung straight into the center of a darkish case, in a metropolis flooded with characters in want of your help – generally in the primary story, and different instances by means of temporary, but gratifying facet quests known as Case Information. And also you’ll meet an actual vary of people all through the sport’s runtime. No actually, I bumped into everybody from a yakuza captain by means of to a zany demon-fusing scientist – and that’s simply in the actual world!
These characters assist to reveal most of the sport’s key themes, that are tightly interwoven with the Nineteen Thirties setting. There are frequent questions across the morality of struggle and the position of financial injustice on individuals’s on a regular basis lives, as an example.
And I felt that I might connect with the solid because of newly added voice performing – among the best inclusions on this remaster. Whether or not it is the considerably lazy, but playful Detective Narumi or rival Satan Summoner, Rasputin, expressive voice performing injects a lot extra character into every character. Even the demons have some extremely entertaining – generally weird dialogue that add a lot whimsy to the expertise. The commanding voice of Hayataro or the enduring hee-ho’s of Jack Frost even made me reluctant to fuse them into one thing else.
Your feline companion, Gouto, can be at hand to information you thru the case’s key plot factors and supply pointers for those who get a bit caught. These suggestions are sometimes helpful, and customarily, Gouto is much much less invasive than a sure different cat that Atlus followers can be properly acquainted with. I gained’t identify names after all… nevertheless it begins with ‘M’ and ends in ‘organa’.
Raidou’s revamped
So, there’s an enticing plot and intriguing solid to match, however what about gameplay itself. Effectively, that is the place the image begins to get slightly extra blended.
I’ll begin with fight. You’re not getting the turn-based press flip battle system from Shin Megami Tensei titles, with this sport as a substitute taking a real-time motion strategy. Nevertheless, the fight system has been considerably overhauled in Raidou Remastered, when in comparison with the unique sport.
There aren’t any extra pesky random encounters, Raidou can now use two demons in battle (versus one within the authentic), you’ve bought the power to lock on to enemies, and far, far more. These alterations are all most welcome and have made fight really feel manner extra fluid than earlier than.
When doing battle, you’ll wish to concentrate on draining MAG, which is expended when demons use magic assaults, comparable to the fireplace spell Agi or volt assault Zio. In an effort to get your MAG again, Raidou can dish out mild assaults, which refill the bar swiftly, enabling you to commonly exploit enemy weaknesses, and because of this, stagger them for a neater path to victory.
Aside from these mild assaults I discussed, Raidou can use heavy assaults, hearth his gun, solid magic skills of his personal (Summoner Expertise) and unleash extremely punishing strikes like Satan’s Bane and Spirit Slash. You may achieve new Summoner Expertise as the sport progresses, and you may additionally be capable of allocate stat boosts to Raidou when he ranges up throughout energy, magic, vitality and luck.
I went for a blended energy / magic construct, and my important technique in battle was to whack out as many mild assaults as attainable, fueling one demon’s use of therapeutic magic and one other’s devastating elemental injury. You can too use objects in battle, however I mainly by no means wanted to do that.
More often than not, my technique proved to be a sure-fire technique to win battles, that means that fight might get slightly repetitive. Additionally, regardless of enhanced battle mechanics – which incorporates extra fluid maneuvering – I discovered that Raidou might really feel slightly clunky to regulate, particularly within the air. This was not often an enormous challenge, however for those who’re anticipating extremely seamless, ultra-smooth motion from this title, you may be slightly disenchanted.
Boss fights are nonetheless good enjoyable, although, and may typically pose an honest problem. Right here, I discovered that blocking and dodging was a bit extra essential. Simply spamming my mild assaults and anticipating my demons to do the remainder was not often ok. I’m positive this could ring much more true for those who’re taking part in on exhausting mode, however I performed on Personal Eye problem – which is basically the usual degree of problem.
Earlier than we proceed speaking gameplay, although, I simply wished to flag that this sport has an important soundtrack – there are some severely catchy tunes right here. I nonetheless can’t get the theme from Narumi’s Detective Company out of my head.
Battling our demons
Anyway, let’s proceed chatting gameplay – and the actual spotlight right here, for me, is filling out the demon compendium and fusing probably the most highly effective creations conceivable.
You may recruit demons just about trouble free – not all the time the case in different Atlus entries (I’m taking a look at you, SMT 4). And you can even request the assistance of the peculiar Dr. Victor within the Goumaden, who lets you fuse a number of demons collectively and forge new, stronger companions to take into battle. You can too fuse swords, spears or axes for Raidou, which come which include recent skills in addition to differing stat boosts.
Throughout demon fusion particularly, you possibly can move on skills and passive expertise which can enable you to goal the weaknesses of opponents within the Darkish Realm – simply be sure to regulate their Investigation Expertise, which can are available in use outdoors of battle.
And that brings me onto what’s, no doubt, the weakest a part of Raidou Remastered – solo investigations. These happen when Raidou is unable to progress by means of an space himself, and he as a substitute enlists the assistance of his demons (which most people are unable to see in the actual world). You may ship a demon out to collect clues or examine blocked off areas, which sounds attention-grabbing, however finally ends up being simply boring.
Most demons transfer fairly slowly, and the dash button doesn’t work once they’re out investigating. On high of that, retrieving clues normally simply consists of urgent a single button to go looking an space, learn a thoughts, or squeeze into a decent space. I simply want that these components of the expertise had been extra interactive, particularly on condition that being a detective is central to the sport’s plot.
Lastly, a fast observe on the expertise taking part in on Nintendo Swap 2. Sometimes, I performed with my Pleasure-Con 2 controllers, and the sport managed properly. Switching between targets whereas locked on took a little bit of getting used to – it might, at instances, really feel slightly inflexible. However the whole lot else, from utilizing assaults, summoning demons, sprinting and dodging felt completely high-quality.
Equally, efficiency was very sturdy – although I’d count on this given it is hardly probably the most demanding title on the market. It runs at a most of 60fps at 1080p, which seems to be stable, although the dearth of 4K might disappoint some.
General, although, I like how the sport stays trustworthy, visually, to its PS2 roots, whereas nonetheless guaranteeing characters and backgrounds look polished. Oh, I additionally not often skilled body charge points – that’s except I carried out Raidou’s final assault, Spirit Slash. This may generally trigger slightly little bit of slowdown, however by no means to a level that it value me a battle or something.
In the long run, I had a blast with Raidou Remastered. I used to be eager to finish nearly each Case File, the primary story had me hooked, and naturally, I liked summoning a few of my favourite demons from the SMT sequence. Fight, although pretty layered, might generally get slightly samey and I actually want solo investigations didn’t really feel like a chore. However total, Atlus did a wonderful job with this remaster and I’m grateful that it’s enabled me – and so many different followers – to resolve this thriller for the very first time.
Must you play Raidou Remastered: The Thriller of the Soulless Military?
Play it if…
Do not play it if…
Accessibility options
The sport consists of subtitles, button remapping within the controls part, a management stick sensitivity slider, and the power to toggle vibrations on and off. There are another delicate modifications you can also make, comparable to the choice to easily maintain the A button, quite than press it repeatedly to restrict a demon. There are 4 troublesome modes, together with one which makes fight extraordinarily fundamental for many who wish to primarily concentrate on story alone. There isn’t a colorblind mode for anybody searching for that out, although.
How I reviewed Raidou Remastered: The Thriller of the Soulless Military:
I spent greater than 30 hours with Raidou Remastered: The Thriller of the Soulless Military, taking part in by means of the primary story and the overwhelming majority of Case Information. I had the sport set on Personal Eye problem – primarily regular. I’ve performed a ton of Atlus titles earlier than, from Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne by means of to Persona 3 Reload, so I used to be already loads accustomed to techniques like demon fusion.
I performed the Nintendo Swap 2 model of the sport, which I downloaded digitally by way of a code provided by Sega. Normally, I performed in docked mode in 1080p at 60fps, however I did strive taking part in for some time in handheld mode too. When docked, I had my Nintendo Swap 2 linked to the Sky Glass Gen 2, with audio taking part in from the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar.
First reviewed June 2025