Preview: Why Digimon Story Time Stranger Will Scratch Your Pokémon Itch on PS5

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For several decades, the author had no engagement whatsoever with anything related to Digimon. However, at a recent private Bandai Namco event, the captivating key art was irresistible and drew them in.

In the tradition of previous Digimon Story games, particularly Cyber Sleuth, initially launched on the PlayStation Vita, and its follow-up Hacker’s Memory, Digimon Story: Time Stranger is an RPG focused on capturing digital creatures. This game shares similarities with a well-known Nintendo franchise that starts with the letter ‘P’, implying Pokémon.

In approximately three hours of gameplay, we completed the initial mission and another one located roughly halfway through the campaign.

First off, let’s address a few things upfront: It’s been about 30 years since our last encounter with the Digimon franchise, so our perspective might be relatively new and uninformed. Moreover, it’s unknown whether your favorite ‘Mon appears in the game.

Having an unbiased viewpoint offers us a distinctive approach when discussing the game, which might be novel even for some beginners or those who may have taken a break from it.

To put it simply, as a turn-based JRPG, we were indeed quite impressed. Although it’s not on the same scale as something like Persona, it still manages to satisfy that specific craving, with its captivating anime aesthetic and engaging monster breeding mechanics.

The first adventure kicks off in Shibuya, where you’ll enjoy sprinting through a stylized replica of the actual Tokyo neighborhood. Despite serving primarily as a static setting, it still provides an engaging introduction to the “digital monster” universe.

In this adventure, you’ll journey both to Earth and the Digital World: Iliad, with the digital world appearing in the second half of our preview demo. It’s worth noting that if the environments appear somewhat static during the initial mission, they undergo a significant transformation upon crossing into the virtual universe.

Near the beginning of the game, you’ll need to choose your initial Digimon, and since we were familiar with its design, we decided on Gomamon as our starting choice.

In simpler terms, the combats in this game follow a sequence where you take turns to act. Each of your Digimon possesses unique abilities that come into play during battles. You have the option to fast-forward through animations for quicker progress, but we believe the level of detail and quality in the work is worth taking the time to appreciate.

There’s so much intricate work involved in the process of training creatures, and even with our expertise, it would be challenging to fully understand all aspects of it in just three hours. To begin with, we didn’t get a chance to delve into the Digifarm, which is a feature that enables you to cultivate and nurture your trainees.

However, there was sufficient time for you to learn the fundamentals: by encountering and overcoming Digimon, you can eventually create your own adaptations. The more knowledgeable you are about them, the stronger their initial attributes will be.

In addition to talks during gameplay, there are multiple elements that shape your Digimon’s character, influencing how they develop and evolve. Unlike Pokémon, this evolution process isn’t strictly linear, meaning you don’t always need an equivalent of Charmander to grow a Charmeleon. However, their stats and behavior traits significantly impact their development.

After a long day of demo sessions, following an exhausting commute by train in the morning, I’ve found myself grappling with some intricate and challenging game mechanics. It might cause me to break into a sweat, but it also seems like this depth could offer a wealth of choices for crafting my dream team setup.

As a passionate player, I must say that during the initial mission, it felt like a close call assembling my starting squad of three soldiers. However, as the demo progressed, I found myself fully immersed in exploring the depths of the team-building aspects available to me.

As a digi-fan, it seems that the game allows for as many as 999 companions in my Digital World at once! Yet, I suspect I’ll lean towards utilizing lesser Digimon to bolster the strength of my main party members.

As a fan revisiting the series after years, I must say I’m genuinely impressed by some of the design updates. One detail that caught my eye is every Mon having sprite-based Digivice alternatives in the main menu, which adds a delightful visual touch to the overall experience.

In certain areas, you’ll find a streamlined version of the Digimon Trading Card Game mini-game as well. Plus, there are some stunning digital card illustrations to admire. Generally speaking, we find the overall layout of this game appealing, running at approximately 60 frames per second on PlayStation 5.

The action certainly ramps up significantly when you have a complete team! In this game, you’re able to deploy three of your Digimon onto the battlefield, and a fourth guest Digimon will join your adventure as part of the narrative. You can also keep an additional three Digimon in reserve, ready for immediate substitution whenever needed.

In a classic role-playing game (JRPG), it’s essential to enhance your team members and plan your moves based on your adversary’s vulnerabilities to gain an advantage.

This feature isn’t overly intricate – if you’ve dabbled in games with similar mechanics, you’re already familiar with the basics. However, the battle system shows promise of adaptability, as some Digimon possess distinct combat skills. Additionally, you can customize further by manually attaching additional skills, which you can purchase from different vendors within the game.

Previously hinted, the initial mission’s location in Shibuya had a somber atmosphere; however, when transitioning to Digital World: Iliad, the developer significantly enhances the High Dynamic Range and crowd density. The movement may seem old-fashioned, reminiscent of a PlayStation 2 game, yet it’s not the primary focus of

Additionally, it’s important to mention that although we didn’t jot down the Digimon’s name, these battles are quite impressive with larger-than-life dimensions. Some adversaries occupy the entire screen, and they undergo multiple transformations or phase shifts during combat.

To put it simply, despite being new to the game, we’re quite enthusiastic about the creature-taming features. However, there are certain instances where navigating corridors during non-combat situations feel a bit underwhelming, particularly in environments that seem repetitive and similar to our everyday world.

In our previous conversation, we mentioned that three hours might seem substantial, but it barely scratched the surface of this game. This game has intricate, complex aspects that require more time to fully understand and appreciate. Nonetheless, after this brief encounter, we are eagerly anticipating further exploration.

This latest Digimon Story game seems designed for newcomers or those who have taken a break from the series, potentially disappointing long-time fans with its gradual learning process. However, we believe this approach is crucial to help beginners quickly familiarize themselves with the game.

As a devoted fan, I must admit that finding an alternative to Pokémon on the PS5 has proven challenging, with Palworld obviously not fitting the bill. However, if you’re in search of a game to sate that unique craving typically reserved for the Nintendo Switch, it might just be worth checking out.

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2025-09-08 17:08