Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army (Nintendo Switch 2 review here) breathes new life into a 2006 PlayStation 2 cult classic, updating it with a fresh coat of paint and some welcome enhancements. This action-RPG, set in an alternate Taishō-era Japan, follows Raidou Kuzunoha XIV, a detective and Devil Summoner tasked with unravelling supernatural mysteries in a demon-infested Tokyo. The story begins when a distressed schoolgirl, Kaya Daidouji, hires Raidou to investigate a mysterious threat, only for shadowy forces to kidnap her suddenly. This sparks a sprawling case involving a supernatural conspiracy tied to the “Soulless Army”, a horde of demonic entities and rogue soldiers threatening the city. As Raidou digs deeper, the investigation uncovers a web of occult rituals, political intrigue, and cursed bloodlines, set against the backdrop of 1920s Tokyo infused with demonic energy.
A bulk of the story revolves around Raidou exploring the Capital’s districts, interrogating suspects, gathering clues, and battling demons to unravel the truth behind Kaya’s abduction and the Soulless Army’s origins. The story explores themes of duty, identity, and the clash between human ambition and otherworldly forces; however, its slow pacing and thin character development prevent it from reaching the emotional depth of Atlus’ other titles.
Raidou is calm, disciplined, and professional, exuding a noir-esque coolness that fits the game’s 1920s flavor. He’s not emotionless, but prioritises duty over personal expression, rarely showing vulnerability. His interactions with his sardonic talking cat companion reveal a dry sense of humor and quiet loyalty. While not deeply fleshed out due to the game’s focus on plot over character, Raidou’s stoicism and competence make him a compelling anchor, with his actions, such as saving civilians and outwitting foes, speaking louder than words.
The premise blends noir aesthetics with Shin Megami Tensei’s demon-collecting, and it still holds intrigue, but the execution feels uneven, caught between nostalgia and modernisation. The remaster boasts overhauled visuals, trading the original’s PlayStation 2 prerendered backgrounds for crisp 3D environments and character models that pop with vibrant detail. The camera controls are still fixed, and while it does feature some movement as it tracks Raidou through areas, there is no mistaking that this still feels like a PlayStation 2 game. Small touches like controlling Raidou with the d-pad and that he has no walking animation (only moving at full sprint) keep this title lost in a limbo of retro and modern purgatory.
The Taishō setting, with its mix of early 20th-century Japanese culture and supernatural weirdness, remains a standout, offering a refreshing departure from the typical modern or apocalyptic backdrops of the Megami Tensei series. Fully voiced dialogue, in both English and Japanese, adds life to the cast, with the talking cat Gouto stealing scenes with sharp wit. The jazzy soundtrack, a hallmark of Atlus, keeps the vibe infectious and leans into the noir theming of the narrative.
Combat is where Mystery of the Soulless Army shows that it was originally a PlayStation 2 release. The shift from the original’s clunky combat to a real-time action system with free camera control, a jump mechanic, and dual demon summoning is a clear upgrade. Raidou controls more smoothly than he ever did back in the 2000s. Battles feel snappy, with Raidou slashing, shooting, and commanding demons to exploit elemental weaknesses – yet he isn’t as robust as other action game characters like Dante or Bayonetta. He still retains some of the stiffness from Atlus’ early days. Even now, Atlus is still not known for its action games, and that won’t change with this remaster.
The demon fusion system, a series staple, remains addictive, letting players craft a roster of over 100 creatures with unique skills for combat and exploration. However, the combat grows repetitive, leaning heavily on basic hack-and-slash mechanics that lack depth. Players can issue commands to summoned demons on the battlefield, but otherwise act on their own. There are some strategies where the demons’ formations can be controlled, but players are never not in control of Raidou. He acts like a coach and team captain when engaging enemies. Aspects of the Press-Turn system are realised as a stagger-like mechanic, but as an action game, it loses much of its uniqueness. Stunned enemies become punching bags, and their HP pools are balanced around this, inflating them to spongy levels.
Boss fights, while challenging, often expose the system’s limitations, with clunky hit detection and awkward camera angles that frustrate more than they engage. The AI for allied demons is another sore spot, frequently ignoring commands or getting stuck, forcing players to micromanage in chaotic fights.
The sense of exploration fares better, with the Capital’s districts offering a compact but atmospheric hub to investigate cases. Using the demons to solve people’s problems or suss out clues feels like Raidou is a legitimate police officer and leans heavily into the story’s core themes of lawfulness. At times, it evokes memories of the Yakuza games. Each district has its bespoke flavour and amusing side stories to get a laugh or two.
The detective mechanics, such as gathering clues, interrogating suspects, and using demons’ powers, are engaging, though simplistic compared to its contemporaries. Side quests add flavor, delving into the lives of quirky NPCs, but many boil down to fetch tasks or recycled combat encounters, padding the 20-hour runtime without much substance. The Mystery of the Soulless Army was never one of Atlus’ best, and was more like an interesting experiment with action gameplay, yet this remaster (which is more like a remake) is still a dramatic improvement.
