Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Joins The List Of M-Rated MegaTen Games

Like most Shin Megami Tensei games, Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers has been rated M (Mature) in North America by the ESRB. The ESRB rating cites “Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence” as content descriptors and provides the following rating summary for the game:

This is a role-playing game in which players assume the role of a young hacker involved with demons in a fantasy metropolis. Players explore dungeons, negotiate with enemies, and engage in turn-based battles with human and demon-like creatures. Players mostly use firearms and magic spells to kill a variety of demons, spirits and other enemies. Damage is sometimes indicated by screen-shaking effects and punching/zapping sounds. Still-frame sequences depict other violent imagery: figures with blood on their faces; characters clutching bloody wounds or standing in pools of blood.

 

During the course of the game, some female demons wear outfits that expose their breasts; others have phallic-shaped heads or torsos. A couple of demons (e.g., “Incubus,” and “Succubus”) have sexual characteristics that are detailed in text (e.g., “It ravishes women while they sleep, impregnating them’ and ‘They visit sleeping men and tempt them into engaging in sexual congress with them”). The words “sh*t” and “a*shole” appear in dialogue.

Soul Hackers is one of 10 Shin Megami Tensei-related games in the ESRB’s database with an M rating, not counting ports and re-releases. A few games from the series managed to get away with a T (Teen) rating and some even managed an E (Everyone). If you’re curious, here’s how they’re divided up:

M (Mature):

Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

Raidou Kuzonoha vs. King Abaddon, Raidou Kuzonoha vs. the Soulless Army

Persona 3, Persona 3 FES, Persona 3 Portable

Persona 4, Persona 4: Golden

Digital Devil Saga, Digital Devil Saga 2

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

T (Teen):

Devil Survivor, Devil Survivor 2, Devil Survivor: Overclocked

Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (the PSP remake)

Persona 2: Innocent Sin

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

Persona 4: Arena

E (Everyone):

Revelations: Persona (the original PSOne game)

Revelations: The Demon Slayer (GBC)

Jack Bros. (Virtual Boy)

Demikids: Light Version/Dark Version (GBA)

Hmm… I wonder what Shin Megami Tensei IV and Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem will get when those games are eventually released in America.