Digimon Survive
MSRP $59.99
“Digimon Survive mixes tactical roleplaying action with visual novels to varying results.”
Pros
Interesting story
Enjoyable characters
Plenty of replay worth
Cons
Lackluster exploration
Lack of issue
What do you get whenever you combine Stranger Things, Shin Megami Tensei, and traditional Digimon? Hyde and Bandai Namco’s Digimon Survive is right here to reply the query. While enjoying by this darkish and distinctive entry within the Digimon sport pantheon, I went by flurries of pleasure, unhappiness, and frustration. The extent to which you’ll expertise these feelings could fluctuate relying on whether or not you’re excited by and able to play by a visible novel and technique sport hybrid that always slacks on the tactical entrance.
Digimon Survive tries to supply gamers with a superb story and intense tactical RPG gameplay. While it succeeds as a story expertise, these accustomed to technique video games will discover the sport a bit missing. To get probably the most out of Digimon Survive, gamers ought to give attention to storytelling, know when to alter their issue settings, and be able to study the foundations of Digimon.
A brand new kind of digital monster
While many players are accustomed to the intensive storytelling current in JRPGs, Japanese visible novels take issues a step additional as they require gamers to learn by each line of dialogue to reply appropriately to every pivotal state of affairs and dialog. While you won’t guess it at first look, visible novel-style gameplay is an enormous a part of Digimon Survive. Players should make their means by many intricately written conversations that probably result in completely different endings, everlasting character deaths, and completely different transformations for the Digimon accomplice Agumon.
“Series fans will find an exceptionally competent story worthy of the Digimon name.”
You play as Takuma, the soon-to-be chief of a bunch of scholars transported right into a world of monsters known as Kemonogami, which we all know as Digimon. This new tackle the Digimon mythos opens the door for traditional Digimon to be scarier than ever and typically offers the sequence a horror-like tone Digimon video games by no means ventured into earlier than.
Digimon Survive‘s visual novel side had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Its entire narrative is full of discoveries and exciting moments amplified by the game’s nice rating and artwork. The character writing is a selected spotlight because the theme of “children being forced to grow up” is inherently participating. Any character deaths I brought on hit me very arduous, a lot in order that I truly needed to cease enjoying for a second after one of the crucial stunning deaths I encountered.
Like the Persona sequence, Digimon Survive has a number of moments the place gamers can personally work together with and develop their relationships with sure characters. For some characters, the variety of interactions gamers have with them determines whether or not they dwell or die and the way a lot synergy gamers have with their Digimon in battle. I spent numerous time falling in love with these characters, and a gap opened in my coronary heart every time they met a darkish destiny.
The weakest hyperlink of the visible novel a part of Digimon Survive is Exploration. In these segments, gamers go to completely different places and click on round a static atmosphere to search out objects and get extra context in regards to the sport’s characters and world. Exploration doesn’t have the appeal or intrigue of the remainder of Digimon Survive, so I prevented the exploration until it was essential.
Those coming to Digimon Survive for the tactical RPG expertise could not look after these prolonged visible novel segments. However, these elements of Digimon Survive have been the spotlight of the sport for me, and sequence followers will discover an exceptionally competent story worthy of the Digimon identify.
Digi Megami Tensei
If you’ve performed by any of the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor titles, then you will have a good suggestion of what you’re moving into with the strategic gameplay of Digimon Survive. Battles happen on a big board the place gamers should full an goal, which normally winds up being to filter the enemy workforce. The enjoyable of Digimon Survive’s battles comes by the varied methods you may carry this out.
Digimon Survive‘s battle mechanics are very enjoyable when the game actually gets difficult enough for players to engage with them. Positioning is key, and that will get forced into your mind as you play through the game’s many battles. Not solely do monsters continuously have passive perks and usable abilities to struggle with every flip, however every flip ends with gamers deciding what route they need their monster to look in.
“It doesn’t feel like Digimon Survive is engaging enough for fans of its battle mechanics in terms of length or enjoyment.”
A monster’s weak factors are on their sides and again, so I’d sometimes finish a flip with my again to the wall or back-to-back with an ally to keep away from taking most harm. This additionally applies to enemies, so the occasions after I bought an ally to spice up my motion factors so I may assault from behind resulted in ugly harm.
The battle system is one other space the place the sport feels loads like traditional Digimon. Not solely are there elemental weaknesses and strengths like within the Pokémon sequence, however the Digimon triangle returns right here: Data varieties beat Vaccine varieties, Vaccine varieties beat Virus varieties, and Virus varieties beat Data varieties. Digmon may evolve and presumably change varieties and skillsets on the fly at the price of SP, so there ought to be a large number of methods for gamers to make use of in battle.
During battle, gamers can speak to opposing Digimon, and by answering inquiries to their liking, they might be a part of you or provide you with objects. Unlike Shin Megami Tensei V although, these solutions don’t make the Digimon really feel extra alive. In truth, some solutions are shared between monsters. While I loved the primary time I talked to a monster, these mechanics had diminishing returns with every new encounter. This is simply the beginning of the battle’s issues, although.
There is numerous visible novel and tactical RPG content material packed into Digimon Survive, however the pacing and lack of issue make the battles tiring, even for tactical RPG followers like myself. Digimon Survive is about 60 p.c visible novel and 40 p.c technique sport battles, and lots of of those battles have been senseless within the sport’s starting hours.
For the primary eight chapters of Digimon Survive on Normal issue, I may simply flip off my mind and continuously be on the offensive with out ever being in any actual hazard. This led to quick battles that didn’t really feel participating or substantial in any respect between the visible novel sequences. As a consequence, it doesn’t really feel like Digimon Survive is participating sufficient for followers of its battle mechanics when it comes to size or enjoyment. For the most effective expertise, play on arduous issue till chapter 8 after which change again to Normal issue for the remainder of the sport.
Our take
Digimon Survive is a novel but enjoyable new system for the Digimon sequence, but it surely’s simple to see the seams in its two-genre juggling act. While it has these tough spots, they aren’t sufficient to overshadow the positives the sport presents to TRPG, visible novel, and Digimon followers alike. If the sport will get a extra polished sequel, I can see it turning into as nice as I’d hoped this might be after all of the delays it confronted. As of now, Digimon Survive doesn’t seem to be will probably be far more than a cult traditional.
How lengthy will it final?
Depending in your completion price and the way a lot you discover, Digimon Survive will final about 30 to 40 hours. However, gamers can go for a Complete Survival score, which implies they saved all their companions on a second playthrough. Considering that and the sport’s three endings, the sport can simply final upwards of 80+ hours.
Are there any options?
While the market isn’t filled with TRPG visible novel hybrids like this, there are video games like Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor and Sakura Wars sequence that do that system higher than Digimon Survive. That mentioned, Digimon Survive‘s lack of issue additionally means it serves as a superb entry level for this style hybrid, so verify these different sequence out for those who get pleasure from this.
Should you purchase it?
Digimon Survive is a sport that isn’t only for Digimon followers. It has an incredible story and hints of brilliance within the gameplay, however every individual’s mileage could fluctuate with this one. It could also be finest to attend for a worth drop earlier than choosing up Digimon Survive for those who’re on the fence.
Digital Trends reviewed Digimon Survive on an Xbox Series S.
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