#The AI with a heart (Persona 5 Strikers)

[hypogryffin]

Erina and Sophie....

erina and sophie..... perhaps even sophie and erina....

#persona 5 #p5 #asks & requests #p5t #p5t erina #p5s #p5s sophia #sophia persona 5 #persona 5 sophia #persona 5 strikers #persona 5 scramble #persona 5 tactica #i will fill the p5s tag my fucking self if i have to #comics #chef recommended #good lord is that all the tags i need. am i done am i free. YEESH okay #anyways i think theyd be so silly together #no one utilises the comedic potential of erina living in the fantasy french revolution but i think deep learning ai sophia is a good match #either way theyre so good as parallels like hold on SPOILERS FOR BOTH GAMES PAST THIS POINT #both of them were created as last-ditch efforts. erina is the manifetation of toshiros suppressed hope and rebellion and sophia is ichinose #attempt at understanding the human heart and her own repressed emotions #theyre both constructs of the heart in one form or another even if they were created in v different ways

[crocrubies]

my favorite weird crossover trio where the thing they have in common is something that is extremely particular to Me specifically aka "of course you have green eyes and poor emotional processing abilities"

#ztd #zero time dilemma #ztd spoilers #mira ztd #zero escape #aitsf #ai the somnium files #aitsf spoilers #saito sejima #persona 5 strikers #p5s #p5s spoilers #kuon ichinose #j's art #okay so the way i see it is mira and ichinose are gfs studying the human heart #because what if we didnt understand the heart..... and we were both girls..... #anyways and then saito is the weird gay dude they keep around for entertainment and to study him #he's like their pet cat #he does NOT wanna be there!!

[0heartangel0]

Guys, we were ROBBED!!!!!

And yeah, I know @Trifargo beat me to the punch, but I'm slow, and get distracted easily, so cut me some slack...

#fanart #persona 5 #persona 5 strikers #zenkichi hasegawa #persona 5 sophia #the thieves stole our hearts - Atlus stole the Strikers duo their chance at appearing in anything else again #We need to sign a petition to at least get them some figurines or something #I'm on my hands and knees Atlus. Bring back my AI baby and my Grumpy Old Man!!

[myuzucompendium]

Continued from here

Sophia was taking in everything that Akira was saying and processing it. So there was many other ways of affection than just hugging and or kissing, huh? That made sense now that she thought about it, because gifts and other things were often seen as nice according to studies that she was currently researching in the background. One nice thing of being an AI was that she was able to multi task like this.

Man though, the fact that it was dependent on the individual made this all the more confusing, just because that meant that she was going to have to remember the idiosyncrasies of each and every individual that she would help. This conversation was certainly getting a lot deeper than expected for what was originally something formed from international kiss day.

"I can get people stuff if they need it, or help of course, being humanity's companion. I will always help anyone that I can! I never knew that could be seen as a means of affection. Thanks! I feel like I'm learning so much." Sophia had her ice melting smile on her face now. She loved learning stuff and she was learning so much through this.

@akirathief

#AI and Questions (Sophia Musing) #Humanity’s Companion (Sophia IC) #The AI with a heart (Persona 5 Strikers) #A Story Unfolding (Sophia RP) #Short Stories (Sophia Drabble) #akirathief #hai #I moved this over here to avoid issues with legacy post since it's gone and buried

[mattapparentlystumbltourneys]

Virtual Character Tourney - Round 2 - Bracket B - 5

Propaganda below (May contain spoilers!)

Sophia propaganda:

She's one of the two characters who are exclusive to the Strikers spinoff, and I think they have an interesting take on how she plays into the worldbuilding (although admittedly I haven't finished the game, I know small bits and pieces of how it ends.) Seeing as the series is very heavily based around psychology and how humans interact with their surroundings, having a character whose entirely artificial is a different take on how they interact. She's not the only artificial game of the series, but she is the only one for Persona 5, and that's important because of how much P5 focuses on the psychology aspect even more then the others already did. Also, she's really silly and I love her. She has hearts for hair because she has so much love to give!!

Sophia is an AI character that can fight in battle and wield a Persona. As humanity's companion, she is duty bound to help people any way she could.

Her hair is made of hearts, she hums when she's happy, you find her in a giant box in a trash heap and she immediately decides to come with you. She lives in your phone when you're not on a mission and asks you about the human heart because that's her mission but really because she wants to be as human as you are. She's wonderful and amazing and is one of the best AI characters in gaming.

Ultraman X propaganda:

X canonically lost his physical form and lives in Daiichi's phone. His presence caused Daiichi's phone to turn gold, instead of the standard-issue silver the rest of XIO's employees have. It's possible for XIO's scientists to send powerups to X because he lives on Daiichi's phone. There's also a couple episodes where X gets trapped in cyberspace and Dr. Gourman and friends have to design something for Daiichi to help him escape. (Dr. Gourman is the first to notice Daiichi is secretly Ultraman X. Also in the crossover movie, Daiichi and X got separated and X couldn't live on Daiichi's phone so he jumped to the nearest computer (which belonged to Naomi from Ultraman Orb, air date 2016) and began pulling up photos of Daiichi in a "Have You Seen This Nerd?" sort of way. The enemy goons saw Naomi and her cryptid hunting gang putting up missing posters for Daiichi and tore them down bc they had him captured at their crystal witch's base, a creepy haunted house. Eventually when Daiichi and X reunited as man and lil alien on his phone, they were so happy they ignored everyone else in the room. They were grateful enough to fight alongside Naomi's sad space cowboy, Kurenai Gai, in battle.

#virtual character tourney #round 2 #sophia #sophie p5s #persona 5 strikers #ultraman x #character polls

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Not that you're taking submissions for new characters or anything, but I just want to talk about another autistic anime (technically video game) girl. Spoilers for Persona 5 Strikers ahead.

Meet Kuon Ichinose! One of the first things she tells you about herself is that she's particularly good at noticing cats. If that's not an autistic hello I don't know what is. Anyway, she gets to know the Phantom Thieves and that they operate in a sorta alternate dimension formed from people's cognitions. She immediately basically goes, "okay, neat, can you give me computer stuff from there to study?" You know, rather than being surprised at the existence of such a thing.

Her special interest is programming, particularly AI. Turns out she's created two fully sentient living programs. The first of which she created essentially as a disability aid. She appears bright and cheerful all the time. Even when inappropriate. The reason for this is that she's actually masking. She has no idea how emotions or the human heart work, and believes she lacks these. She says that she's less like a human and more like a heartless doll. Still, her first sentient AI she created to learn about the human heart, hoping secretly that she might through this learn that she really does have a heart.

That AI she made (Sophia) comes to see her as a mother, and ends up helping her. At the end of the game the two of them set off together to learn more about people.

Basically she's an autistic tragic villain turned redeemed mom with a robot daughter (who's also autistic, btw) who helps save the world. I love her and her character arc so much.

You had me at 'good at noticing cats' but that last paragraph just sealed the deal. She sounds incredible,,, I love her 🥰🥰🥰

#autistic anime girls poll #poll asks #kuon ichinose #persona 5

[yippeetournament]

ROUND 1 MATCH 8: SOPHIA vs BRIDGET

Sophia (Persona 5 Strikers) is an AI made by Kuon Ichinose who decides to aid the Phantom Thieves in order to find out the truth about the mysterious Change of Hearts situation involving the app EMMA happening all over Japan. She is very helpful and loyal, although she's also a bit reckless and doesn't seem to understand jokes.

The free form tricky spinner Bridget (Guilty Gear Strive) is a renown bounty hunter known by her hometown for getting rid of the notion that having two sons/daughters is a curse. Having fulfilled this task, she partakes on a journey of self discovery, and with the help of Goldlewis Dickson and Ky Kiske, accepts who she is and finds the strength to be herself no matter what.

#persona 5 #persona 5 strikers #sophia persona 5 #bridget #bridget guilty gear #guilty gear strive #guilty gear #bracket tournament #tournament poll #tournament #yippee #tbh creature

[muzzleroars]

i think you would love persona 5 strikers depending on your aus

I DO LOVE STRIKERS!! i thought the game was super fun and i absolutely DID have an au for it with yaldabaoth (post change of heart) as a part of the party (as well as continuing my supercomputer au into strikers)! it was basically strikers except yaldabaoth is akira's actual dad and how that parallels with zenkichi's storyline, how he learns to be the father akira should have and learning to change through working closely with the thieves to the point that he refutes emma's position. ALSO following gnostic lore, sophia is yaldabaoth's "mother", an ai made to understand the human heart that facilitated his coming into being when she heard all of humanity calling out for him (the timeline is. fuzzy here, but i didn't think too hard about it lol) it ends with him staying behind as steward of the metaverse, and offering akira a place there with him as it closes after emma's defeat...but he turns it down, returning to be with his friends in the real world as he knows that's where he truly belongs.

#the supercomputer strikers au is similar #with akira reuniting with the thieves and finding out he's been truly loved and missed #and yaldabaoth meeting sophia as his predecessor #i LOVED this au though it meant so much to me....still does tbh.... #i got so happy giving this little summary ooughghhhaa #yaldabaoth as akira's dad is still my number one headcanon #BUT anyway overall my p5 aus are all. 'but what if yaldabaoth was there' #cake answers #p5s spoilers #persona 5 strikers spoilers

[ultimate-blorbo-bracket]

Here will be all of the returning characters from the previous tournaments!

Here's the link to the character submissions if you'd like to add more!

The First Tournament

Vash the Stampede - Trigun

Miles “Tails” Prower - Sonic the Hedgehog

Percy Jackson - Percy Jackson series

Oz - Monster Prom

Max - Sam and Max

Happy Chaos - Guilty Gear

Wheatly - Portal 2

Amity Blight - The Owl House

Agent 3 - Splatoon

Riku - Kingdom Hearts

Will Graham - Hannibal

Jigglypuff - Pokemon

Rosencrantz - Rosencrantz And Gildenstern Are Dead

Terra - Kingdom Hearts

Diamond - Pokemon Diamond & Pearl

Kairi - Kingdom Hearts

Wise Elder Vex - Yonderland

MK - Lego Monkie Kid

Vector the Crocodile - Sonic the Hedgehog

Link - Legend of Zelda

Nicelander Gene - Wreck-It Ralph

Gretchen Wieners - Mean Girls

Wes - One Last Stop

N - Pokemon Black & White

Big Man - Splatoon

(the rest are under the cut!)

Aziraphale - Good Omens

Spock - Star Trek

Hawkeye Pierce - MASH

Isabelle - Animal Crossing

Plagg - Miraculous Ladybug

Glory - Wings of Fire

Darcy - Pride and Prejudice

Snatch - A Hat In Time

Virgil - Sanders Sides

Makoto Yuki - Persona 3

Aled Last - Radio Silence

Sho Minamimoto - The World Ends With You

Rose Quartz - Steven Universe

Pico - Pico’s School

Bandana Waddle Dee - Kirby series

Sora - Kingdom Hearts

Alfred - Fire Emblem Engage

Kagami Tsurugi - Miraculous Ladybug

Morpheus - The Sandman

Odo - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Alfur Aldric - Hilda

Tintin - Adventures of Tintin

Humphrey Bone - Ghosts

Unikitty - The Lego Movie

Wu Zetian - Iron Widow

Adrien Agreste - Miraculous Ladybug

Razputin Aquato - Psychonauts

Callie - Splatoon

Volo - Pokemon: Legends Arceus

Shadow the Hedgehog- Sonic the Hedgehog

Riolu - Pokemon

Data - Star Trek: The Next Generation

Albedo - Genshin Impact

Celeste - Animal Crossing

Gyro Gearloose - Ducktales

Elfilin - Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Raichu - Pokemon

Carden Greenbrier - The Cruel Prince

Yu Narukami - Persona 4

Van Fanel - Escaflowne

Fenton Cabrera - Ducktales

Horatio - Hamlet

Meta Knight - Kirby series

Pit - Kid Icarus

Peridot - Steven Universe

Anne - Anne With An E

Yusuke Kitagawa - Persona 5

Edric Blight - The Owl House

Zenitsu Agatsuma - Demon Slayer

Josuke Higashikata - Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Graystripe - Warrior Cats

Cheng Xiaoshi - Link Click

Hilda - Hilda

Roxas - Kingdom Hearts

Luz Noceda - The Owl House

Koraidon - Pokemon

Leiland - Dimension 20

The Second Tournament

Arven - Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Revali - Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Tinkaton - Pokemon

Ravio - Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds

K_K - Deltarune

Bambi - Disney’s Bambi 

Luxu - Kingdom Hearts

Umbreon - Pokemon 

Aqua - Kingdom Hearts

Asriel Dreemur - Undertale

Launchpad McQuack - Ducktales

Midna - Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Nikol - Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Sprig Plantar - Amphibia 

Blaze the Cat - Sonic the Hedgehog

Ballister Boldhearts - Nimona

Peppermint Vandelay - Hi-Fi RUSH

Oshawott - Pokemon 

Luke Sullivan - Street Fighter 5

Killua Zoldyck - Hunter X Hunter

Axel - Kingdom Hearts

Bede - Pokemon Sword & Shield 

Chandelure - Pokemon

Scaramouche - Genshin Impact

Simon Snow - Carry On 

Canti - FLCL

Anya Forger - Spy X Family 

Cloud Strife - Final Fantasy 7

Azymondias - The Dragon Prince

Swellow - Pokemon

Jibanyan - Yo-kai Watch

Marluxia - Kingdom Hearts

Iruma Suzuki - Welcome To Demon School Iruma-kun

Basil - Omori

Sypha Belnades - Castlevania

Surge the Tenrec - IDW Sonic

Ai - Puyo Puyo

Dillon - Dillon’s Rolling Western

Mew - Pokemon

Yoshi - Super Mario Bros

Rasmus - Omega Strikers

Daroach - Kirby series

Silvally - Pokemon

Silver - Pokemon Gold & Silver

Undyne - Undertale

Aerith Gainsborough - Final Fantasy 7

Bowser Jr - Super Mario Bros

The Professor - Puppet History

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

My Persona 5 Fics

code violet - 158k words (complete longfic)

code violet: an emergency code that can be called by any person who is a witness to a violent incident or a combative individual that poses a threat

The engine room confrontation goes down a little differently when one Yoshizawa Sumire is there, hiding in the shadows.

-

A two-shot that ballooned into a Royal Trio longfic. SumiGoro-centric. Canon Divergent - Akechi Lives. Slow Burn Akeshusumi Polyship.

joker's wild - 3.1k words (one shot)

joker's wild: a phrase used to refer to the use of the joker played as a wild card; unpredictable, chaos

Akira has to convince Akechi to join the Phantom Thieves, but nothing he says seems to reach him. He's got one more card up his sleeve, but not the courage to play it.

-

A companion piece to code violet that covers a missing scene from chapter two. Rated Mature for intense making out; Roleplaying; Dom/Sub. Akeshu.

Actualized - 5.9k words (one shot)

Akira has betrayed him. He's betrayed everything, become just as bad as that cursed doctor. Goro won't stand for it. He can't stand for it.

If he has to face Maruki alone on February 3rd, he will.

-

The Ideal Ending from Goro's point of view. Heavy Angst; Hurt No Comfort. TW suicidal tendencies/ideation. Akeshu/Shuake

Idyll - 2.3k words (one shot)

"Something is wrong, Akira."

"Whatever do you mean?" says Akira, sounding utterly unconcerned. He continues to hum under his breath, a permanent smile etched on his face. The picture of perfect contentment. "What could possibly be wrong?"

Blood dripping thick and red into his drink at the Jazz Club. Empty gray eyes. Goro blinks. The images disappear. "Something is wrong," he says, quieter.

-

Pseudo-sequel to Actualized (though reading it first is not required). Psychological Horror; Heavy Angst; Hurt No Comfort. Mind the tags. Akeshu/Shuake

Awakened - 2.9k words (one shot)

Akechi Goro is dead, in every way that matters. It's time that Akira avenged him.

-

Conclusion to Actualized and Idyll. Angst; Hurt No Comfort; Major Character Death. Akeshu/Shuake

reaper - 5.5k words (one shot)

Futaba visits Mementos alone on a whim and senses something strange on her scanners. Curiosity gets the better of her, and well, you know what they say about curiosity.

But Futaba's never really cared for that particular saying.

-

Futago siblings/friends, set in the Third Semester. Fluff and Angst. Background Akeshu/Shuake.

weak to ice - 5.7k words (one shot)

Akira takes the Phantom Thieves ice skating in celebration of Haru's eighteenth birthday. Goro's displeased for one simple reason--he's not too fond of the idea of wasting a day on frivolities when Masayoshi Shido is still out there, awaiting his punishment.

And Goro doesn't know how to ice skate. There's that, too.

-

An exploration of Akechi's self-worth issues. Canon Divergent; Hurt/Comfort; Soft Akeshu/Shuake

remember that you can't save everyone (remember that you have to try) - 2.0k words (one shot)

At first only silence greets him. The sound of fabric shuffling. Perhaps Kurusu merely called accidentally in his sleep, and there's nothing to be concerned about. But then there's a sniff, and something that sounds like a quiet sob.

"Kurusu-kun?" he tries.

Silence. Then, a very soft and quiet, "...Yeah."

"Is everything alright?"

More silence. An even softer, "No."

-

Takuto receives a call from Akira after Akechi dies. Angst; Survivor Guilt; Savior Complex. TW mentioned suicide, alcohol abuse. Gen.

heart(less) - 2.6k words (one shot)

Sophia sacrifices herself, and Akechi Goro has some belated realizations about himself, the heart, and the AI he underestimated.

-

Sophiagoro friendship, Strikers but Akechi is there. Features Sophia, Goro, and Ichinose. Gen.

white raven, black swan - 5.5k words (one shot)

A collection of scenes taking place during Persona 5 Tactica's DLC Repaint Your Heart

-

What it says on the tin. Sumigoro focus/friendship, Royal Trio. Gen.

drop dead - 3.2k words (one shot)

Kasumi is a bit overwhelmed. Infiltrating a Palace with a ruler who seems to know so much about her with Kurusu-senpai and an Akechi Goro who's acting more than a bit out of character is...somewhat stressful.

But she'll be okay. After all, she'll always have her senpai to help keep her head on straight.

...Right?

-

Sumire deals with her feelings toward Akechi during the Royal Trio infiltration. Bad Girl Sumi; First Kiss; Trauma; Temporary Character Death. Akeshusumi Polyship.

giving the game away - 5.3k words (one shot)

Sumire wants to tell her parents about her boyfriends. Goro constructs a plan that is absolutely foolproof...for anyone but the fools he's surrounded himself by.

-

Future domestic fluff with Royal Trio. Secret Relationship; Akechi Goro Lives; Making Out; Knifeplay (sorta of, not really). Akeshusumi Polyship.

#sera posts #sera writes #p5r spoilers #p5 fic #ao3 #akeshu #akeshusumi #shuake #futago siblings

[satoshi-mochida]

Some games on the PSN Black Friday sale. Full list here, ends November 27th.

AI: The Somnium Files

Alternate Jake Hunter: Daedalus The Awakening of Golden Jazz

A Way Out

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3

Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack

Back 4 Blood

Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Return to Arkham

Blaster Master Zero

Blaster Master Zero 2

Blaster Master Zero 3

Blazblue Cross Tag Battle

Bloodborne

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Chaos Code

Crash Bandicoot 4

Crash + Spyro Triple Play Bundle

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reuinion

Cuphead

Danganronpa 1-2 Reload

Danganronpa V3

Dark Souls Remastered

Dark Souls 3

Devil May Cry HD Collection + 4 Special Edition Bundle

Disgaea 6 Complete

Disgaea 7

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Dragon Marked for Death

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Earth Defense Force 4.1

Earth Defense Force 5

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force

Fallout 4

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Fire Pro Wrestlng World

Forspoken

Ghostrunner

Ghostwire: Tokyo

Gleamlight

God of War(PS4)

God of War: Ragnarok

GrimGrimoire OnceMore

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2

Hades

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Horizon Forbidden West

Immortals Fenyx Rising

Jak and Daxter Bundle

KATANA KAMI: A Way of the Samurai Story

Kowloon Highschool Chronicles

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society

Lies of P

Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness

Mafia: Definitive Edition

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel's Midnight Suns

Marvel's Spider-Man

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Megadimension Neptunia VII

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection

Melty Blood: Type Lumina

Metal Slug 3

Metal Slug Anthology

Metal Slug XX

Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation Code Fairy Vol. 1

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker

Nier Rplicant

Nier Autimata

Nitroplus Blasterz

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4

One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows

Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight

Persona 5 Strikers

Persona 5: Dancingin Starlight

Puyo Puyo Tetris

Rayman Legends

Resident Evil 4 remake

Resident Evil 7

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles

River City Girls 2

River City Melee Mach

River City Saga: Three Kingdoms

RWBY: Arrowfell

Sifu

Sol Cresta

Sonic Origins

Spyro: Reignited Trilogy

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Steins; Gate Elite

STEINS;GATE: My Darling's Embrace

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse

Super Bomberman 2

SUPERHOT

Super Neptunia RPG

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

The Evil Within

The Evil Within 2

The Last Campfire

The Legend Nayuta: Boundless Trails

The Outer Worlds

The Quarry

The Wonderful 101: Remastered

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2

Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition

Voice of Cards 1-3

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

Warm Snow

Wild Hearts

World End Syndrome

Yakuza: Kiwami

Yakuza: Kiwami 2

Zanki Zero

#Disgaea #Yakuza Series #Zanki Zero #World End Syndrome #The Evil Within #Resident Evil #The Legend of Nayuta #Star Wars #Sonic the Hedgehog #RWBY #Valkyria Chronicles #A Way Out #Blaster Master #Voice of Cards #Neptunia #River City Ransom #Gunvolt #Spider-Man #Nier #God of War #Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles #Earth Defense Force #Danganronpa #Batman #TMNT #Persona Series #AI: The Somnium Files #Final Fantasy #Melty Blood #Metal Slug

[snakesnifter]

to play games list

disco elysium

off

witchs heart

ai the somnium files

ace attorney trials and tribulations

persona 5 strikers

xenoblade chronicles

hades

fire emblem fates and birthright

smt iv

#will be updated eventually but i must finish some games 👍 #mine

[crypticpatterns]

♫ >:D

Hourglass by Set It Off

All You Wanna Do from SIX

Talk Too Much by COIN

No One Is Alone from Into The Woods

The AI and its Heart from Persona 5 Strikers

#i skipped a hamilton song. sorry #sera answers #misty-wisp

[dans-den]

Soul Hackers 2 Review

What's going on everyone? It's Dan here and today I'll be giving my first Video Game Review on the turn based JRPG, Soul Hackers 2!

This game is another entry from one of my favorite game developers Atlus and Published by my favorite Publisher Sega. I enjoy playing Atlus's other game franchises such as the Shin Megami Tensei series (I've played 3 and 5) and my personal favorite Persona (4, 5, Royal, etc). Both of those franchises have their own distinct personalities in terms of gameplay and theme.

Soul Hackers (much like Persona) was a spinoff game of the SMT series, specifically devil summoner. I find it strange they chose to make a sequel of the soul hackers game 25 years later but it might be due to the success of Persona and SMT back in 2021 with Persona 5 Strikers and SMT 5 doing well. I never played the original Soul Hackers game it was released the same year I was born on the PS1 and by the time I started playing games we had entered into the 6th generation of consoles (GameCube, PS2 and Xbox etc) so I had no clue of this games existence. When I saw Soul Hackers 2 trailer and how this was an Atlus game, I was intrigued to pick it up, I kept an eye on it and didn't end up purchasing the game until last month during Sega's steam sale where I bought the premium edition for about 60 dollars which I consider a decent deal getting the entire game and DLC's.

Now this game has had a very mixed reception and I wasn't sure what it could be. I looked into it and while playing the game, I think I was able to find some of the issues and saw some things I liked about it. I'll start with the theme, SMT is known for being Dark while Persona is more comedic and somewhat light-hearted. Soul Hackers 2 falls more into Persona territory where its theme is more quirky and light-hearted moments with some dark themes mixed into it for the sake of the story, People do die in this game and at times can be graphic. Their gameplay styles also help separate them, SMT is naturally a more difficult game to play even on normal and even easy mode at times. If you mess up once in SMT, your whole turn is done. Persona is more forgiving in that regard though it has its moments where its challenging enough while being able to progress through the story. Soul Hackers 2 is an easier game to play than Persona. Persona still had the turn based mechanics similar to SMT where if you mess up, you only lose a couple turns. It doesn't matter if you mess up in Soul Hackers 2, your turn will be unphased meaning you can complete all four turns whether you mess up or not in battle. That also means that even if you find the weakness, you don't gain a turn, its only four turns. Normally you would gain turns if you find the weakness of enemies, but it doesn't matter here in Soul Hackers 2, four turns is the ruling.

The characters in Soul Hackers are different from SMT and Persona protagonists since instead of high schoolers, the Protagonists consist of Young Adults in their 20's (assuming mid or late 20's) which is refreshing rather than the typical high school A-team. The characters are alright, they have their own personalities to them and their own stories. Ringo (yellow-green) and Figue (Purple) are two sentient AI's in humanoid bodies sent by Aion to protect the world from the impending doom of humanity all while learning what it's like to be human. Arrow is a Devil Summoner of a group called Yatagarasu who's the straight man of the group who lacks in some social queues but is a determined individual loyal to his friends and what he believes in. Milady is the assassin devil summoner from the other devil summoner group called Phantom Society and is the former lover of the main Antagonist Iron Mask. Saizo (my fav) is the comedic relief of the group who is a freelance devil summoner who workers for both sides and is a smooth talker with a charismatic personality. Each one has their own reason to fight and the chemistry between them are fun to watch I'll admit. Though the writing at times feel like they're trying to be hip and appeal to the younger audience and it comes across as cringey at times. But overall, the characters and their interactions are good.

The Story itself is not bad, but its also not great either, it's alright. The story is your typical Apocalyptic situation from Atlus where it takes the SMT route by having a big bad guy trying to destroy our current world so that they can create a new world in their own warped image. Our heroes have to stop them from destroying the world. The way its done in Soul Hackers 2 is done decently well where Iron Mask is collecting 5 covenants to give himself the power to destroy the world and create a new one. The story has a twist near the end which I wont spoil but I thought it was cleverly done. Soul Hackers 2 has an area called The Matrix where out heroes go through their souls and fix their souls from enemies invading it and as you keep exploring and leveling up your level for each character, you'll unlock deeper parts of their souls and stronger foes to fight and collect. I have issues with how they structured progressing in the game, I feel they should have made the Matrix a more essential way of progressing in the story and leveling up.

As mentioned before, the game is easier compared to other Atlus titles, as long as you level up you'll do fine though I do have issues with how you level up. Though there are moments where the EXP you get from fighting enemies doesn't feel like a substantial reward after grinding and fighting, feels like you're cheaped out at times. I also noticed that it has that resting mechanic that Persona 5 Strikers had where you'd exit the portal and rest up immediately which was a complain Strikers got. Soul Hackers 2 has that same mechanic with the Safehouse, you can go to the safehouse and rest up or eat a meal and replenish your HP/MP with zero cost or consequences. This is what I feel holds great Atlus games back, when they make it too easy with these replenish areas you can use whenever you feel like it but again that's just me. I also want to mention how the difficulty in this game doesn't change much. I did this game on all three difficulties and they hardly change. in SMT, the difference is drastic and even Persona has a more noticeable different in difficulty when you change it.

As mentioned, I purchased the DLC for the game since it was all on sale. The main meat of the DLC is a big side story with the young novice Devil Summoner named Nana. She eats a lot, she's sassy, a bit of a brat and her story was lackluster to say the least. She wasn't anything significant to the game, I wish they had done it like Royal where Violet was added as a main part of the game and it fit well without any real plot holes. This is why I'm glad they went with adults rather than teens or I would have just said "this game is dollar tree persona". I understand she's just DLC and not an actual part of the story, but if you're gonna make a DLC side quest, at least make it where it adds something meaningful to the game. The other DLC's are demons that were obtainable before in other Atlus games but now in this game they're behind a paywall which was another criticism I was seeing and I totally agree with that. I hate it when things that were free and obtainable through skill in the past are now locked behind a paywall which is just anti-consumer. So yeah, DLC's were definitely a flop due to how they handled them.

Overall, the game is a decent turn based JRPG. I see this as more aimed towards the average gamer or gamers not familiar with Atlus or turn based JRPG's. This game is definitely not meant for the Atlus fans such as myself even though its structed almost the same as SMT and Persona with different endings (which are both cool) and fusing characters (the fusion scene in this game is kinda lame) but its structured to be easier than their other franchises. I still had fun beating the game and collecting demons and leveling up. I still think this is a fun Atlus game to play, just not one I'd play after I played games like SMT or Persona.

Rating this game I am giving it:

7/10

I would recommend this game to someone who wants a fun turn based JRPG or wants to get into the Atlus games, though if you're a long time fan of Atlus, wait till this game is on sale like I did and play it as filler while waitin for the next Persona or SMT game. This game is good, but could have been great if only handled better.

That's all I got, See ya!

#dans den #video games #atlus #dungeon crawler #game review #jrpg #turn based strategy #sega #overworld #soul hackers 2

[myuzucompendium]

“Who wants to learn an interesting fact about Japan? The World’s shortest escalator is located in Kawasaki, a city located directly between the major metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Yokohama, in a department store. It is only 4 steps and is used quite frequently.”

#Musing #Humanity's Companion (Sophia IC) #The AI with a heart (Persona 5 Strikers)

[mattapparentlystumbltourneys]

BRACKET REVEAL

Alright. At long last, I present to you the bracket...or should I say...*BRACKETS* for the Virtual Character Tournament!

Given the scale, the first round is going to be one bracket per week, 4 a day, with each lasting 24 hours. I know that this is still tight, but given how many contestants there are, along with the necessary inclusions of images and propaganda (oh and I guess also my job), it's what I can do to keep this semi-manageable. There's also no redemption round this time. It's gonna be a single elimination tournament. Be kind to your peers. This is not but a drop in the infinite ocean of the internet.

...oh yeah the brackets themselves. We'll be going in order over the course of 4 weeks. I'll make proper announcements for them as they commence. Given how many there are and what I want to get done beforehand, Bracket 1 will likely begin some time this week. But for the matchups...

Bracket 1:

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) vs. Elohim (The Talos Principle)

Flame (Yu-Gi-Oh! VRains) vs. The Supervisor/Mouthless (Tenkuu Shinpan)

XANA (Code Lyoko) vs. MetalMan.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network)

9-Jack-9 (Zot!) vs Poppy Pipopapo (Kamen Rider Ex Aid)

Sage (Sonic Frontiers) vs Mektryllis (Fate/Extra CCC)

Dot Matrix (Reboot) vs V Flower (Vocaloid)

Wizardmon (Digimon) vs Delta (Red Vs. Blue)

Sora (Ever17) vs Kasane Teto (UTAU)

The Doctor/EMH (Star Trek Voyager) vs Crash (Awful Hospital)

Burroughs (Shin Megami Tensei IV) vs Quorra (Tron Legacy)

The Machine (Person of Interest) vs The Rocket Dex (Pokemon)

P03 (Inscription) vs. M.X.E.S (FNAF Security Breach: Ruins)

Hakuno Kishinami (Fate/EXTRA) vs Data Riku (Kingdom Hearts)

Samaritan (Person of Interest) vs ART (The Murderbot Diaries)

Cortana (Halo) vs M-Bot (Skyward)

Mitsuko Miyazumi (Archer) vs Ritsu (Assassination Classroom)

Bracket B:

Ene (Kagerou Project) vs The Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe)

Amadeus (Steins; Gate 0) vs D.O.M (The Adventure Zone)

AM (I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream) vs Theo (Meta Runner)

Colonel.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network) vs Daia (Kiratto PriChan)

Agumon (Digimon) vs The Bobbiedots (FNAF Fazbear Frights)

Felix the Desktop Cat (Real Life) vs SHODAN (System Shock)

MegaMan.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network) vs Church (Red vs. Blue)

Shepherd (ENA) vs Dr. Coomer (Half Life VR But the AI is Self-Aware)

Sophie/Sophia (Persona 5 Strikers) vs Dizzy (Beyblade)

Miss J/SCP 5094 (SCP) vs Ultraman X (Ultraman X)

SAYU (No Straight Roads) vs Falulu (Pripara)

Incarceron (Incarceron) vs Benry (Half Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware)

Lea (Crosscode) vs Kiracchu (Kiratto PriChan)

Dragon (Prahumans) vs Murder-Bot 2.0 (The Murderbot Diaries)

Ai (Yu-Gi-Oh! VRains) vs Glitch Slime (Slime Rancher)

Eris (Wolf 359) vs Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Bracket III:

Hera (Wolf 359) vs Shin AI (Your Turn to Die)

Alba (Star Twinkle Pretty Cure) vs The Denpa Men (The Denpa Men)

Guy (Free Guy) vs EDI (Mass Effect)

Aetna (Lore Olympus) vs Yui (Sword Art Online)

Nicole the Holo-Lynx (Archie Sonic) vs Gabumon (Digimon)

Jacqueline Box (Pripara) vs Mamechi (Tamagotchi)

Vanellope von Shweetz (Wreck-It Ralph) vs Cleverbot (Real Life)

The Phantom Virus (Scooby-Doo) vs Chiaki Nanami (Danganronpa)

Alter Ego (Danganronpa) vs Digit (Cyberchase)

Simulcast (Reflection TTRPG) vs SARA (Toonami)

Lumina Ichihoshi (Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ) vs The World Machine (OneShot)

Rumble McSkirmish (Gravity Falls) vs Holly (Red Dwarf)

HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey) vs Samantha (Her)

PAMA (Minecraft Story Mode) vs Noah Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Agent Smith (The Matrix) vs O.R.C.A (Splatoon)

Spunc (Alpha Betas) vs Porygon (Pokemon)

Bracket Delta:

GIFanny (Gravity Falls) vs Coco (Aikatsu Friends)

Vic Fontaine (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) vs Red One (The Last Angel)

Glitchtrap (FNAF Help Wanted) vs Holo (My Holo Love)

Avina (Mass Effect) vs Light Hope (She-Ra)

Motherboard (Cyberchase) vs Aya (Green Lantern: The Animated Series)

Bonzi Buddy (Real Life) vs Tama (AI The Somnium Files)

Dragon (Worm) vs Bip (Runway to the Stars)

Failsafe (Destiny) vs J.A.R.V.I.S (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Aiba (AI: The Somnium Files) vs CanHaz (DC Comics)

SAYER (SAYER) vs Fey (Welcome to Night Vale)

Buddy (Buddy Simulator 1984) vs Ziggy (Quantum Leap)

Maggy (Hellspark) vs The Squip (Be More Chill)

Lyla (Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse) vs Durandal (Marathon)

Beta Jay 137 (Ninjago) vs Zero III (Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward)

Sergey Ushanka (The Magnus Archines) vs Demetra (Spy Kids 3: GAME OVER)

Alie (The 100) vs Lil' Hal (Homestuck)

As always, thank you for bearing with me during this long and arduous process. Sorry for the hassle, and be prepared, as it is almost upon us.

#virtual character tourney #tournament layout #there are a lot of characters so i'll be tagging them during the rounds #don't want to pack even more nonsense into the bottom portion #character polls