Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner – Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army (PlayStation 2)

For many years, the members of the Kuzunoha family have been skillful detectives, specializing in supernatural cases. They have mastered the secret of devil summoning – call forth beasts from hell and make them fight against their own kind, on your side. This unique ability was transferred from parent to child over generations.

It is the Taishou era in Japan: the First World War is over, and the country enters rapid industrialization, growing to become one of the leading economies in the world. You play as the fourteenth Raidou Kuzunoha, and one seemingly ordinary case makes you confront a demon. That’s where your newly discovered devil-summoning skills come in handy. After defeating your first demonic enemy and summoning your first allies, you are determined to explore the city, to solve supernatural cases, and to find the truth behind the demons’ presence.

This is the third entry in the Devil Summoner sub-series of the Megaten franchise. Unlike the two previous games, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner – Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army incorporates action combat into the traditional demon-summoning system. You can still capture and summon various demons, but they will be controlled by AI (which you can configure) during battles. You have physical control over Raidou Kuzunoha; although the battles take place on separate screens, like in usual turn-based Asian RPGs, you can move freely and attack enemies in real time. You can use sword or gun attacks, and also perform different moves such as dashing and striking the opponent. You can also defend by pressing buttons at the correct time. Outside of battles, you will have to do a lot of detective work: walking around the city, talking to suspects, hunting for information, etc. Some demon abilities can also be used outside of combat to gain advantage in your investigation.