Pokémon might be the king of the pocket monsters, but Digimon has recently found its way onto the headlines with Digimon Story Time Stranger.
The blend of JRPG mechanics and your typical digital monster drama seems to have found its fanbase, and the new title builds on top of that on the PlayStation 5.
As the name suggests, this one isn’t just a nostalgia trip with Agumon and Co, the game feels more ambitious and, dare we say, a little fresh and familiar at the same time.
After Digimon Time Stranger was announced back in February, the main aim has been to capture the newly acquired fans, as well as being another entry for veterans to sink their teeth into.
If you were a fan back in the old PS1 days, chances are, you might like this one as well.
Digimon Story Time Stranger Gameplay
The turn-based combat is back and it’s back with a bang. Each Digimon has unique moves and evolution paths, as well as elemental affinities that can be used to your advantage – or used against you, if you don’t choose your party wisely.
The standout feature is the Time Shift mechanic, however. This feature allows the player to manipulate the order of turns, follow up, as well as rewind a mistake – if you’re reminded of Prince of Persia, you might have a point here. This clever twist feels more tactical and forgiving at the same time, making the encounters feel less of a grind.
The Story Uses Time Travel
The time travel mechanic isn’t just a gameplay feature; it’s heavily intertwined with the narrative as well. This is a first for the series, and while it certainly won’t win any narrative prizes, it’s a cool way of exploring every digital world players – and watchers of the original anime back in the day – know and love, and is therefore a sweet hook in itself.
The environments are most likely going to be very diverse, since the Digimon universe expanded over its long run as well, which can only be a net positive – if the devs fill the world with meaningful content, that is. Let’s hope the demo wasn’t just a showcase of the best parts of Digimon Time Changer, because if what’s shown is indicative of the rest of the game, we’re excited and hyped as all heck for this one.
