Digimon, as a franchise, appears to be going by one thing of a superb interval. We gained’t be moving into the massive monster franchise right here for comparability, or the various unbiased/smaller collectable rivals, though I do miss each Jade Cocoon and Monster Rancher. Nonetheless, Digimon, after a substantial period of time not fairly having the success of the “Different Franchise,” and being the longest working competitor that’s nonetheless going, lastly to be off it’s ordinary shelf by way of gross sales, at one level being larger on the Steam gross sales pre-order checklist then Battlefield 6.
I, for one, have very a lot been on the Digimon aspect of the monster divide since my childhood, having watched Digimon Journey 1, 2, and Tamers and the proceeded to fall off on the anime aspect till Ghost Recreation. I’ve maintaining with what non-mobile Digimon video games I’ve been in a position to, and nonetheless have a few of my Digimon card sport playing cards someplace round right here. I’ve been a tad irritated by Bandai Namco’s advertising and marketing tendencies up to now, though I do imagine I comply with the logic. It’s all the time had extra area of interest collection for a bigger writer, and so they usually have devoted fanbases that’ll do the advertising and marketing for his or her titles. The Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Sequence being the opposite collection that’s a poster youngster for them.
Then there’s Tekken and Darkish Souls, the latter of which’s main reputation and influenced within the gaming sphere nonetheless amazes me to at the present time, that are it’s massive hitters now. Can Time Stranger get Digimon into being Bamco’s third largest franchise? That continues to be to be seen, and I’m not conceited sufficient to make that assumption. Is Time Stranger a superb sport, and value taking part in? That I really feel marginally extra certified to touch upon, so let’s take a look, we could? As ordinary, all photos will probably be from pretty early on within the sport, and this evaluate will probably be as spoiler mild as potential.
Why Do You Look Acquainted?
Time Stranger begins, after you make your selection of who’s going to be the Agent and who’s going to be the Operator, in a theatre. A personality, who folks that’ve performed the Digimon Story Cybersleuth sub-series and apparently Re-Digitize, will probably be acquainted with, however significantly youthful, sits your Agent down and has you watch a extremely stylized film that includes somebody that occurs to appear like your Agent, a Digimon that I’m not fairly sure hasn’t had a significant position in different Digimedia, and your Operator, earlier than it pans out to your preliminary space of Higashi-Shinjuku: Imaginative and prescient Sq..
It escalates pretty shortly within the hour after that, the place you meet somebody that’ll be an necessary face for the remainder of the sport, and get used to the fight and- one thing of the overall vibe of the sport? Tone is tough to touch upon, for the reason that franchise has by no means actually been one to restrict itself to a particular style or what could be regarded as it’s anticipated age-rating. Anyhow, in the beginning of the sport, you’re in a park surrounded by folks, and roughly a hour in you on prime of a secret authorities constructing punching a Kuwagamon within the face, as Kuwagamon are typically as an ongoing deal within the collection. After which- nicely, then issues begin to choose up additional. It’s extraordinarily well-paced, and opens questions that get neatly answered all through the sport’s runtime.
Why Are You Dressed Like…?
So, after one thing of an sudden occasion — certainly one of many — you end up in a well-known however subtly modified place, and into the Digi-meat of the sport. So, how is it? Battle-wise, it’s mainly a largely improved model of the Cybersleuth gameplay system. Pretty easy turn-based mechanics to start out, but it surely does ramp up beginning with the third or fourth main story boss, including new mechanics for bosses the deeper you get into the sport. Admittedly, some extra irritating than others. I’m primarily a giant silly chicken boss for the earliest instance of them getting a skosh irritating.
There are presently confirmed to be 451 obtainable Digimon throughout the a number of ranges of Digivolution, from “Contemporary” to “Final,” and it largely tends to stay inside the less complicated parameters of these levels and all the things in between. Largely. There are just a few Fusions, though so far as I’m conscious it the checklist doesn’t go too deeply into the weeds of the more- let’s say obscure variations of Digimon. So far as I’m conscious it doesn’t deal with a number of the more moderen new Digimon, though it’s my understanding that Bandai Namco does have plans so as to add extra in future.
Wait, Who ARE-
That’s to not say that the fight is wholly uninteresting, fairly the opposite. Except you progress the issue right down to Story Mode as a result of a boss will get too irritating and also you don’t wish to take care of repeating it or grinding. Each of that are fully comprehensible causes, don’t let anybody let you know in any other case. In the event you do, there’s nearly all the time a Digimon that has what’s wanted to deal with a state of affairs, it’d take a little bit of time to get there, nonetheless. However the fight and gameplay comes a really shut second to the story and characters.
This can most likely be shocking for these comparatively new to the franchise, or have dismissed it as not the “Different Franchise,” however the Digimon Story video games and reveals are likely to go locations, and have genuinely very human, very deep moments. Time Stranger is not any completely different in that regard, however as a part of my wanting to maintain this as spoiler-free as potential I can’t go too deeply into it. What I can say, nonetheless, is that the sport stay and dies on how and for those who come to look after it’s solid. You watch numerous of us — largely Digimon — develop all through, and whether or not you get invested of their tales or not are a significant a part of for those who’re going to love the locations it goes.
I for one, grew fairly strongly connected to the 2 predominant voiced characters, Aegiomon and Inori, and their dynamic is the massive driving drive of the sport. Yeah, I do know, I hear from the extra skilled Digifans,’ a Digimon and their accomplice being what makes you care, “what a giant shock.” That is the truth is true, however since they’re the principle two, they’ve to hold the story and… I personally assume they achieve this. Once more, the story as a complete isn’t weak within the least, it’s Digimon, each story-based Digistory has not less than been fairly good, however these two because the emotional core glue it collectively fairly nicely.
…Lengthy Story, You Say? Hmm…
So, as a complete, what do I consider it? That’s a skosh tough to say. I’m largely a giant fan of the sport, the story’s nice, the characters are fairly good to unbelievable. The gameplay loop of battling, elevating, and coaching your Digimon doesn’t get annoying though it could actually often be fatiguing. The Agent Talent system the place a great deal of making issues simpler for your self and your Digimon to get to the stat parameters they need and have to get to the following stage is pretty easy and intuitive to to make use of, must you bear in mind to repeatedly allocate your Agent Talent factors as you earn them by going by the story and doing aspect quests. The Digifarm is there, and is definitely pretty streamlined and less complicated to make use of than it has been, and never tremendous intrusive. You don’t need to maintain going again to it, until you really put Digimon into the farm, and also you simply have to seek out the golden door in every space to get again to the In-Between Theatre through which it resides.
My solely actual points are just a few main boss battles, the latter two are deeper in and make sense for his or her problem. There are minor ones as nicely, I’m not wholly sure why the cardboard sport that I can’t bear in mind the identify of is there, until it’s simply meant to interrupt up the battles, through which case I suppose it’s honest. Most likely the weakest card sport in a RPG I’ve seen since Tetra Grasp in Last Fantasy 9, though in contrast to that one it’s by no means necessary to play. There’s additionally the same old situation with Bamco RPGs with there being $8 DLC for grinding dungeons, however that’s unobtrusive and fully not wanted until you’re pressed for time or don’t wish to grind usually, which I totally perceive. That and cosmetics are what DLC are meant for, in spite of everything.
Do I like to recommend Time Stranger? Sure, however that’s a professional sure, if largely contemplating how issues are as of the time of this writing. I totally suggest it for those who’re a Digimon fan, like RPGs, and are open to wild, emotional rides. At full value? That’s additionally a professional sure, however that’s solely due to how robust a yr it’s been for video games generally. I’m not going to go on at size, you’ve lived by 2025, simply the identical as I’ve — congratulations on making it this far, by the way — it’s actually only a matter of cash and tastes, and the yr nonetheless isn’t over. I don’t love Time Stranger as a lot as I do just a few different video games I’ve performed this yr, that checklist will come on the finish of the yr, God keen, however I do nonetheless find it irresistible. You would possibly wish to await it’s first sale in case you have different considerations, it’s a Bamco title and so they are likely to do these on a reasonably frequent foundation, however do give it a shot, on the very least.
