How to Switch Demons in Battle in Soul Hackers 2

The core loop of most Shin Megami Tensei games relies on changing up the demons you and your party members employ in combat. You need the right demons to cover your weaknesses, as well as provide the right skills and attacks to exploit an enemy’s weaknesses. This is why the mid-battle demon switch is a vital mechanic. Here’s how to switch Demons in battle in Soul Hackers 2.

How to Switch Demons in Battle in Soul Hackers 2

When you first start Soul Hackers 2, Ringo and her party members are only capable of equipping one demon to their COMPs at a time. This does mean that, at least early on in the game’s story, you’ll need to employ a bit of trial and error in combat, switching your demons out in the menu between encounters. It may seem untraditional for a Shin Megami Tensei game to do this, but don’t worry, it’s coming later.

Related: How Does Demon Fusion Work in Soul Hackers 2?

When you first enter the Mansei Realm and are introduced to the COMP Smith store, you gain access to Ringo’s Commander Abilities in addition to COMP upgrades. The very first Commander Ability Ringo can learn is Conversion. In combat, before one of your allies’ turns, you can pre-empt them with Conversion, which allows you to change out their equipped demon before letting them take their turn as normal. Of course, Conversion has a one-turn cooldown, so you can’t just change everyone’s demons every turn.

Later on in the game, Ringo can also learn an enhanced version of Conversion, Master Conversion. Using this Commander Ability in battle allows you to change demons out for your entire party at once. It’s very helpful and more in line with the demon-switching systems of traditional Shin Megami Tensei games, but there is a catch: Master Conversion has a four-turn cooldown instead of a one-turn cooldown, so when you use it, you really want to make it count.

Make sure to pay close attention to the affinities of any demons you’re regularly encountering in combat, as you’ll want to do your best to prepare your team for them ahead of time. Conversion is there to be used if you’re in a pinch and can’t exploit any weaknesses, but you can’t use it to set up brute force strategies. Be smart about it!