Devil Summoner, originally called Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, is a video game series created and mainly published by Atlus. It is a type of role-playing game and a separate series from Atlus’ Megami Tensei franchise. The first game in the series, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, was released in 1995 for the Sega Saturn. Since then, the series has included many more games, with the latest main entry being Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, released in 2025.
The series began as a spin-off from the successful game Shin Megami Tensei If… (1994). The games take place in an alternate version of Earth between the 1930s and a fictional near-future. The main character is someone connected to or named Kuzunoha, who uses demons to solve supernatural mysteries. The series was created by Kouji Okada and developed by experienced members of the Megami Tensei team, including artist Kazuma Kaneko and composer Shoji Meguro. While each game has a unique story and time period, they all share the same universe and use similar detective story themes.
The series was only available in Japan until the 2006 release of Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army. Starting from that game, Atlus USA provided English translations for all titles except the original. Some games have received support through other media and additional game materials. The first two Devil Summoner games were among the best-selling titles for the Sega Saturn. Games in the series have generally received positive reviews worldwide.
Titles
The first game in the series, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, was released in Japan for the Sega Saturn in 1995. It was later made available on the PlayStation Portable in Japan in 2005. This game is only available in Japan. The story takes place in the coastal city of Hirasaki and follows a silent main character who is brought back to life in the body of detective Kyouji Kuzunoha. He investigates strange supernatural events.
The second game, Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, was released in Japan for the Sega Saturn in 1997. An improved version was made for the PlayStation in Japan in 1999. A version for the Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan in 2012 and in the West in 2013. The game is set in Amami City, a coastal city built and managed by the tech company Algon Soft. It follows a member of the Spookies hacker group as they investigate strange events related to Algon's virtual city.
The third game, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army, was released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) in Japan and North America in 2006 and in Europe in 2007. The story follows Raidou Kuzunoha XIV as he investigates the Soulless Army, a group threatening Tokyo. A remastered version, Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, was released in 2025.
The fourth game, Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon, was released for the PS2 in Japan in 2008 and in North America in 2009 as a limited release. It continues the story of Raidou Kuzunoha XIV, who investigates the antagonist King Abaddon.
The fifth game, Soul Hackers 2, is a sequel to Soul Hackers and was released worldwide in 2022 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Set in the middle of the 21st century, the story follows Ringo, an agent of the digital being Aion, as she gathers summoners from rival clans to face a world-ending threat.
Characters and art from the original Devil Summoner were used in the mobile pinball game Shin Megami Tensei Pinball: Judgment, released in Japan in 2006 through EZweb. Soul Hackers had two mobile follow-ups: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers – Intruder, a 2007 tactical role-playing game with adventure elements; and Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers – New Generation, a 2008 turn-based game set in a virtual world.
A live-action television series based on Devil Summoner was made in 1997. Its popularity led to a second series in 1998. Two novels based on the series, written by Ryo Suzukaze, were published by Media Works in 1996. Soul Hackers had two novel spin-offs: Devil Summoner Soul Hackers: Death City Korin by Osamu Makino in 1998 and Devil Summoner Soul Hackers: Nightmare of the Butterfly by Shinya Kasai in 1999. A manga adaptation, written by Fumio Sasahara and illustrated by Kazumi Takasawa, was released in two volumes in 1999 by Kadokawa Shoten.
The Raidou Kuzunoha duology had several media adaptations. A spin-off novel, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Dead Messengers, written by Boogey Toumon and illustrated by Kazuma Kaneko, was released by Kadokawa Shoten in 2006. A spin-off manga, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. Kodoku no Marebito, began in 2009 through Famitsu Comic Clear and was released in six volumes between 2010 and 2012. The manga was written by Kirihito Ayamura based on a story draft by Kaneko and supervised by Atlus's Kazuyuki Yamai. A two-part CD drama, Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the One-Eyed God, was released by Frontier Works in 2009.
Recurring elements
Instead of the post-apocalyptic world found in the main Megami Tensei series, Devil Summoner is set in an alternate modern Earth. In this world, people called devil summoners use devices called COMPs to form contracts with demons. The main characters, often linked to the Kuzunoha family, investigate the improper use of demons. A common feature of the series is the rivalry between two summoner groups: the kind Yatagarasu clan and the harmful Phantom Society. The Raidou Kuzunoha duology takes place in a fictional version of Japan’s Taishō period. These stories follow the fourteenth trained devil summoner to take the title of Raidou Kuzunoha, who faces supernatural dangers in Tokyo while working at the Narumi Detective Agency.
The first two games use a traditional turn-based battle system from the main Megami Tensei series. Players control their character and up to five demons in battles viewed from a first-person perspective, while exploring overworld maps and dungeons. Soul Hackers 2 also uses a turn-based system, incorporating ideas from the main Shin Megami Tensei series, such as using enemy weaknesses to gain extra turns. The Raidou Kuzunoha duology changes to an action-based battle system, where players navigate pre-rendered town and dungeon environments. The protagonist fights in separate battle arenas with two assigned demons during random encounters. In the first game, Kuzunoha captures demons during battles, while in the second, he convinces them to join through a conversation system. Assigned demons can also help solve environmental puzzles.
A common feature in the series is the relationship between the player and their demons. While demons are acquired in different ways across the games, their behavior during battles depends on their alignment and actions. If a demon uses a skill it is not suited for too often, it may not follow commands as well. Recruited demons can be fused to create new ones, keeping some traits from their previous forms. A resource called Magnatite or its equivalent is needed to maintain summoned demons or enhance attack elements in multiple games. A recurring character throughout the series is Dr. Victor, who oversees demon fusion and appears in different forms across the games.
History and development
After the success of the Megami Tensei spin-off Shin Megami Tensei If… in 1994, lead developer Kouji Okada decided to create spin-off series to explore different story ideas. The first two spin-off games were Revelations: Persona (1996) for the PlayStation and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner for the Saturn. Devil Summoner used themes from detective fiction, especially the sad and tough stories written by Raymond Chandler. It was the first Megami Tensei game released on a 32-bit fifth-generation home video game console and the first to use 3D graphics. The team included Okada as director, writer Ryutaro Ito, and artist Kazuma Kaneko. After Devil Summoner’s success, a sequel was planned, inspired by the dangers of the internet. Okada and Kaneko returned to their roles, while Shogo Isogai created the story based on Kaneko’s draft.
After the release of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne in 2003, producer Kazuyuki Yamai wanted a new project for his team that would offer new challenges. He decided to make a new Devil Summoner game based on staff suggestions. Kaneko returned as character designer. A sequel was made soon after, continuing the story of Raidou Kuzunoha while being a standalone game for new players. Kaneko returned as both character designer and producer. This game included improvements and features from the main series. A sequel to Soul Hackers was requested by fans, but the original game was growing older and less well-known. Eiji Ishida and Mitsuru Hirata, who had worked on other Megami Tensei games, started making a sequel with new mechanics and a new art style led by Shirow Miwa.
At the time of its release, there were rumors about an overseas version, but the original Devil Summoner remained exclusive to Japan. Its age prevented it from being released during the PS2 era. Soul Hackers was also originally exclusive to Japan, with an overseas release only happening when it was ported to the 3DS. Atlus USA created the localization, focusing on matching the game’s time period through slang and references to cyberpunk fiction. The two Raidou Kuzunoha games were the first Devil Summoner titles released in the West. For the first Raidou Kuzunoha localization, project leader Yu Namba used slang from the 1920s to match the story’s setting. The second Raidou Kuzunoha had a limited release in North America. Only three Devil Summoner games were released in Europe by third-party publishers: Soul Hackers by NIS America, the original Raidou Kuzunoha by Koei, and Soul Hackers 2 by Sega.
The original game’s music was composed by Toshiko Tasaki and Tsukasa Masuko, with some tracks reused or changed during production. For Soul Hackers, Tasaki and Masuko were joined by Shoji Meguro, who focused on the game’s cyberpunk themes and atmosphere. Meguro expressed that he had less creative freedom on Soul Hackers compared to his work on Maken X. Meguro returned for the Raidou Kuzunoha games, using brass and jazz music to match the 1920s setting, along with his usual guitar-heavy style. The music for Soul Hackers 2 was composed by the music group Monaca.
Reception
The first two games were some of the most popular titles on the Sega Saturn in Japan. In an article looking back at the Megami Tensei series, Technology Tell mentioned that the first game was different from the others because it did not take place in a world after a major disaster.
The first Raidou Kuzunoha game received mostly good reviews. Critics said it was different from the usual turn-based gameplay of other Megami Tensei games, but some issues arose from the new features. The second Raidou Kuzunoha game was even better received, with critics saying it was an improvement over the first game.