Digimon holds a rather interesting place in my formative years. Like many, I grew up watching and playing Pokémon, eventually falling out for several reasons, and then started following Digimon. It was a gradual process – tuning into Digimon Adventures and marveling at the Digivolutions and potential world-ending threats – but it would be a while longer before playing my first Digimon game – Cyber Sleuth, more specifically, the Complete Edition. Between the intriguing plot and extensive customisation options for Digimon, it felt like the natural evolution of the monster-taming formula and something wholly unique to this franchise.
Suffice it to say that the wait for a new Digimon Story has been excruciating – not because Bandai Namco kept players in the dark but because Time Stranger was announced way back in 2017 – yes, the same year as Hacker’s Memory, the sequel to Cyber Sleuth. Updates were provided through the years, but a proper trailer wouldn’t be revealed until earlier this year. So, almost eight years since the initial announcement, and brother, does it show.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger still features the in-depth progression and customization systems that the franchise is known for, but falters in so many baffling ways. The presentation feels lacking at times, and not just because of the frame rate. The plot misses urgency and a compelling cast, taking an astoundingly long time to move things along, while failing to make you care for many of its core characters. The quest design, be it main or side, feels dreary for the most part, and it’s only the combat and progression systems that kept me invested.
“Unfortunately, actually roaming the world is a different story due to how distant details are handled, not to mention the noticeable pop-in, jittery shadows and iffy animation quality.”
As a brand-new story, Time Stranger focuses on Dan or Kanan Yuki, an agent for a mysterious organization sent back in time to investigate an anomaly. A confusing encounter with Inori Misono, who seems to be the one that Yuki must protect, and a cataclysmic rooftop battle eventually lead to the player being sent eight years back into the past.
Unfortunately, the droll pacing of the intro spills over into the opening hours, as you venture around Japan in boring fashion. Things happen, for sure, but oftentimes, it felt like I could skip dialogue exchanges without lacking any core information. The dialogue choices are meaningless, I know that, but in such cases, you would think they’d prompt some occasionally fun responses, which sadly isn’t the case.
This doesn’t mean all the conversations are completely useless, but the characterisation can be very hit or miss. Inori comes off as bland more often than not (when she’s not making the same tired joke about your “funny outfit”), and the Operator constantly reminding me to investigate anomalies and “focus on the mission” becomes annoying (and the voice acting quality isn’t much to write home about). Aegiomon has some intrigue, and other notable side characters, notably Minervamon and the Public Safety members, are eventually added to the mix.
Your mileage will vary, but the sheer amount of memorable NPCs while roaming Shinjuku is close to zero, not that there are many to interact with anyway. At least the Digital World is somewhat better since there are multiple Digimon to interact with, and they feel distinct enough to leave an impression.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger runs at 30 FPS with no graphical modes to choose from. It’s not the biggest deal breaker since it runs in 4K, and the characters look pretty detailed in cutscenes (which also offer some pretty nice animation and cinematography, for the most part). Unfortunately, actually roaming the world is a different story due to how distant details are handled, not to mention the noticeable pop-in, jittery shadows and iffy animation quality. Which is a shame because some areas are nicely recreated and could have enhanced one’s immersion if they didn’t feel so boring to explore. Others have incredibly trippy aesthetics that are portrayed well, and the Digimon World boasts some fine details. However, even the latter’s wonder is dulled by the shadow quality.
“With all these qualms, at least the combat and Digimon customization are solid enough. The former is your standard turn-based affair with a turn order sequence, but deploying multiple Digimon on the field and swapping them out without losing a turn adds to the strategic depth.”
Exploration is also marred at times by how restrictive some pathways can be, and just the general lack of things to discover in many of the environments (aside from collecting materials and items). This is even more obvious with the dungeons and critical mission areas, but at least there is occasionally some light puzzle-solving to help break up the monotony. You can engage in a game with random NPCs throughout both worlds, though its rock-paper-scissors formula feels highly unsatisfying.
With all these qualms, at least the combat and Digimon customization are solid enough. The former is your standard turn-based affair with a turn order sequence, but deploying multiple Digimon on the field and swapping them out without losing a turn adds to the strategic depth. Follow-up attacks add a bit of spice, even if they’re not overtly flashy, though I would have liked being able to select from multiple Cross Arts during early battles. One nice addition is being able to instantly defeat hostile Digimon while exploring if you’re a high enough level. This, combined with auto battle, helps encourage battling to scan and convert Digimon, not to mention leveling your current monsters. There are tougher battles that encourage slowing down and strategizing, especially when dealing with bosses that can charge up attacks and must be stunned. It’s not the most complex combat mechanic, but it works.
When your Digimon reaches a certain threshold (and your Agent Level is high enough), they can Digivolve, gaining improved stats and new abilities. Having a spread of branching options is always nice, as is De-digivolving if I don’t like an option, especially since leveling them back up doesn’t take long. The interactions with your Digimon that influence their personalities can feel contrived at times, but they go a long way towards making them feel like more than just units.
And besides, thanks to new Agent Skills, unlocked with Anomaly Points, you can min-max into a particular Personality trait and reap the bonuses. I’m currently specializing in Valor, which not only awards more attack, health, defense, and speed to Digimon with those personalities but also improves their growth rate. Ideally, you’ll invest in all categories, making it much easier for new Digimon to benefit from the boosts. Or you simply use the ones you don’t like as enhancement fuel or money. The choice is yours, and sometimes, I feel mad with power.
“If you can power through all that, Digimon Story: Time Stranger might be enjoyable, especially for longtime fans of the series, but those seeking a more well-rounded role-playing game should be warned.”
Which is probably why I can’t write off Digimon Story: Time Stranger completely. The production values are definitely there in places, but the storytelling, exploration, and characters range from outright dull to mildly compelling, depending on the location. Rather than caring about the future of humanity and Digimon, I was more keen on discovering new Digivolutions and pummeling enemies into the dirt for their scan data. Side quests were little more than a means to acquire more AP to invest in further bolstering my squad of digital assassins.
But even if I want to focus entirely on combat and Digimon-rearing, everything else just feels like an unnecessary weight, impeding my interest with its dull objectives. If you can power through all that, Digimon Story: Time Stranger might be enjoyable, especially for longtime fans of the series, but those seeking a more well-rounded role-playing game should be warned.
This game was reviewed on PS5.
