Amami City is a Japanese megalopolis of the near future. In this huge city, each house has a computer, and all computers are linked to one big network. The flow of information is being controlled by the government, and software companies create huge virtual locations-networks. An eighteen-year-old member of a hacker group called Spookies and his companions gain access to one of these networks - a virtual city called Paradigm-X, created by Algon Soft. However, an accident occurs during the hacking, and a mysterious demon who calls herself Nemissa emerges. The Spookies must find the true reason behind Nemissa's arrival, and confront a shadowy organization known as Phantom Society, which employs demon summoners. Soul Hackers is similar in its themes, structure and gameplay to its predecessor, as well as to the main Shin Megami Tensei series. Set in a futuristic cyberpunk environment, the game contains many characteristic elements such as two weapon types (swords and guns) for the main hero, a female companion who can learn and cast magic spells, and a party of six active combatants, of which four are demons. Like in many other Megami Tensei games, the player can communicate with randomly encountered demons and recruit them into the party by selecting appropriate dialogue choices. These demons can also be fused with each other to create more powerful ones.