When you think of monster catching games, the first thought that would come would gravitate towards Pokemon but the pocket monsters have this monotonous formula that leave it lacking as an RPG. Digimon on the other hand though, now that’s a digital monster franchise with variety in its RPGs.
Old Mons, New Tricks
Similar to how Pikachu is the face of Pokemon even with newer gimmicks and more Pokemon added in, good old Agumon is Digimon’s mon of choice. Seeing Greymon from the first series make a reappearance after years and even upscaled to match the latest tech which in the demo’s case was a PS5, brought me for a ride nostalgia wise.
Apart from Digimon from the first series like Garurumon and Devimon, there was even representation from newer series and beyond that show how it’s not quantity but quality that matters more for the franchise. This doesn’t even factor in how the Digimon had voice acting too and not just generic growls which added to their appeal.
Digivolution and RPG Revolution
The Digimon Story franchise gameplay experience is that of a typical RPG with grinding being necessary, digimon having requirements to evolve and combat being turn based. Apart from modernizing the look of the monsters, the controls and UI were intuitive even if I didn’t understand Japanese. If you’ve played other RPGs, you’d already have a gist of what to do albeit with a bit of guesswork. Overworld navigation was also great with your digital companions following you around, really making it feel like you’re a team.
On the topic of teams, the initial bossfight against Parrotmon at the end of the demo felt epic for what would’ve been considered a regular digimon. You have your team of 4 facing off against your insurmountable challenge in story, a common trope in RPGs and not only are you commanding your team, you could even help them out too. Imagine my surprise to see something called an X-art or cross art pop out and make the battle a bit more manageable.
Loading up for release
While I may have not been able to beat Parrotmon primarily due to unfamiliarity with the combat system like there being weaknesses and resistances, it was still a fun experience getting to see the Digimon in this current iteration. There’s this hint of familiarity that’s just hard to let go of and the franchise really leaned in towards what made them unique.
My time with the game’s demo was a bit short to make room for other interested onlookers but considering that I went through the boss fight portion of the demo and not the exploration section, there’s definitely more to look forward to. The franchise may be getting up there in age but the younger generation definitely has a great game to look forward to and I can’t wait for the game’s release later on this year.
