There are many things to say about the kind of shift that happened here this year, and there will probably be more said about it.
But there are a few important points worth mentioning first.
My familiarity with the Digimon brand over the years mostly came from watching from the sidelines rather than growing up with it as a series.
When it was broadcast on educational television, I was watching Pokemon on a different kids channel. Since then, I have watched at least the first fifty episodes of Digimon, but throughout all the years in which the brands competed with one another, there was one very clear winner in terms of brand sales, and that was Pokemon.
For nearly thirty years, these series have accompanied us.
Nintendo fans, myself included, have likely gone through quite a lot with the Pokemon series, some better games and some worse.
My own journey included several breaks due to ongoing disappointments over the years, with one of my breaking points arriving with Sword and Shield, which felt like a harsh letdown, followed by further disappointment with Scarlet and Violet and Legends Z A more recently.
One brand that stayed outside my field of vision for a long time was Digimon, which in recent months suddenly began to look like a very promising game.
At the moment, it is also generating quite a bit of positive buzz online compared to its competitor, but is it really that good.
Let’s talk about it.
The Big Bang
Let’s start with an important trivia detail.
The Digimon Story series is not new.
It first launched back in 2006 on the DS and has received six games so far, or eight if you count additional versions similar to Pokemon.
The last entry we saw was about a decade ago with Cyber Sleuth, followed by a sequel called Hacker’s Memory.
The new game, Time Stranger, is a completely new title, and it does not require any familiarity with previous games in the series.
Everything we need to know about the world in which the story takes place stands entirely on its own.
The character we choose, male or female, whom I will refer to as MC, short for Main Character, arrives in the city as an agent of ADAMAS, a group that focuses on investigating supernatural events, specifically those involving digital creatures unknown to most of the public, Digimon.
During one of MC’s missions, a massive explosion destroys a major district and sends MC approximately eight years into the past.
The new mission is to uncover the cause of the disaster and at the same time prevent it from destroying humanity and the digital world.
The game’s story is one of the coolest I have encountered in this genre of role playing games, especially when comparing Pokemon and Digimon.
There is a strong sense of having a meaningful goal worth fighting for and investigating what might happen in the future.
This stands in contrast to games where the central mystery unfolds mostly in the background, and before we truly understand what is happening, the game simply pushes us toward a series of battles. Here, we actively search for the source of a threat that could wipe out humanity and attempt to save a future that is constantly at risk.
One weakness in parts of the story is that our MC does not speak. When choosing the MC’s gender, the opposite gender becomes the operator, who is fully voiced, while the MC remains silent, communicating only through gestures during dialogue choices.
It is unclear why this decision was made, and it is somewhat disappointing.
It detracts from some of the more interesting narrative moments the game has to offer.
Still, beyond this issue, it is perhaps the most minor problem the game has.
Disappointing, but not experience ruining.
My First Monster
The game is built, unsurprisingly, around Digimon, digital monsters that we can develop, raise, and battle with throughout the game.
At the beginning, we choose between three different Digimon, each of a different type with different attacks.
As we explore the game’s dungeons, we can attack roaming Digimon.
Most of them are not friendly, so attacking first gives us an advantage in battle.
At first glance, the number of Digimon types can feel intimidating, or at least overwhelming, especially since parts of the user interface feel quite dense.
However, whenever we check our advantages against enemy Digimon, the game provides a clear legend explaining what each symbol means.
As we play more, it becomes easier to quickly find the information we need without getting too confused.
Combat is turn based. We can deploy three Digimon, along with three reserve Digimon, to fight against similar enemy groups or bosses.
Each turn allows us to choose an action that consumes SP or perform a regular attack.
We can also use items and swap Digimon without consuming a turn, which significantly lowers the difficulty compared to older Pokemon games.
A Digimon’s type affects how much damage it deals, using modifiers that can multiply or reduce damage.
Attack types also influence these modifiers, allowing for double or triple damage, but sometimes only half or a third of the potential damage.
Paying attention to these details is important, although the game clearly presents this information before each attack.
In some ways, the system feels more reminiscent of dungeon and combat mechanics found in Persona rather than Pokemon.
Another system tied to Digimon is the relationship system.
From time to time during exploration, a Digimon will display a speech bubble indicating it has a question.
The answer we give influences the Digimon’s personality, shifting it along a visible chart.
Changes in personality can affect passive abilities, such as reduced SP costs, guaranteed first turns in battle, or other bonuses.
Exploration and the Digifarm
The exploration system itself is not particularly exciting. It is quite basic.
The maps are divided into smaller zones.
The house where we stay in the past is a single map, city streets are broken into segments, and dungeons are similarly segmented.
Instead of feeling like an open world, the game often feels small and not especially thrilling.
During exploration, we can collect resources and open treasure chests containing items used for the Digifarm system.
Occasionally, we encounter a hidden entrance that leads to a stylish room where we can purchase items unavailable in the open areas and manage the Digifarm.
The Digifarm allows us to store around thirty Digimon on a tiled sphere.
Resources collected throughout the game can be used to train Digimon, build facilities, and craft items that strengthen our bond with them, which becomes especially useful later in the game.
The Digimon in the Room
There is one very large issue that cannot be ignored.
Why does this game run at 30 frames per second on the PlayStation 5, while a weaker PC can run it in 4K at 60 frames per second.
The game is already divided into smaller areas, so how much actual VRAM usage justifies such performance limitations on a relatively powerful console.
It is difficult to justify, and it would be extremely disappointing if achieving 60 frames per second requires upgraded hardware.
That feels hard to accept.
Another issue is the game’s scaling system. Progression requires increasing the MC’s agent rank. Some digivolutions are locked behind this rank, which increases roughly in line with story progression. For players who prefer to explore at their own pace, this can be frustrating.
It discourages free exploration and pushes players to stick closely to the main story.
In a role playing game like this, more genuine freedom would have been expected.
That said, the game’s visual presentation is very appealing.
While it is not groundbreaking, the cel shaded art style is well executed and pleasing to the eye.
There are some odd animations and occasional strange NPC movement, particularly among companions during exploration, but the character models themselves look great, and the character designs are especially charming.
Those who purchased the Ultimate edition likely received additional costumes, including playful Digimon themed outfits.
One moment that slightly broke the fourth wall was the ability to purchase merchandise from other games by the same publisher, which led to running around wearing a shirt from a completely different franchise.
As for the soundtrack, it does not stand out as exceptional and is fairly forgettable overall, but it is genuinely pleasant as background music.
It leans toward electronic and chill sounds, becoming more energetic when needed, without ever overpowering a scene.
Some tracks are particularly enjoyable during city exploration and battles, fitting the action perfectly.
The Bottom Line
While Pokemon Legends Z A was not discarded entirely, if there is a clear stumble between Pokemon and Digimon this time, it belongs to Nintendo.
The amount of work put into this game by its developer is impressive.
Digimon Story Time Stranger is an excellent adventure role playing game with a strong story and memorable characters.
Despite a few issues that would have been nice to see resolved, it stands as one of the best Digimon games released.
It would be wise for Nintendo to study this example and deliver a product that truly respects its fan base.