Digimon. Digital samples. Digimon are the champions!
It’s been over two decades since I first heard those immortal words when the Digimon Adventure TV series landed on our shores, offering a slightly darker and more mature alternative to pokemon. A slew of games were also released during that time; with action-packed RPGs and fighters representing the majority of them. The latest incarnation, however, Digimon Survivalmoves in a slightly tangential direction.
That’s right, Digimon Survive is a tactical RPG and visual novel hybrid, with a strong emphasis on the latter. And by heavy I mean an emphasis the size of WarGreymon. Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your expectations; however, as long as you’re willing to accept the power dynamics outlined between the two genres, Digimon Survive is worth your time.
The story begins much like the one in the aforementioned Digimon Adventure TV series, with a group of teenagers on a school trip – Takuma Momozuka, Minoru Hinata, Aoi Shibuya, Saki Kimishima, Ryo Tominaga, and Shuuji Kayama. They, along with a few other people, are somehow transported to another world; a world full of Kemonogami aka Beast Gods (Digimon for you and me). Confused and alone, survival is the most pressing matter, as the creatures of this realm don’t seem too friendly. Well, apart from a handful of Digimon who are very eager to work with the group.
Memories are immediately evoked for longtime fans due to the original premise and the fact that the main character, Takuma, is joined by the adorable Koromon who quickly digs into Agumon. Then the story hooks really close as some mysterious things come into play; an eerie pair of siblings, a dangerous fog, and an entity determined to sacrifice all these children.
The strongest aspect here, however, is how horrific it becomes when the young people struggle to adapt and their mental weakness is exposed. People can and will die during your playthrough. That darkness keeps you on your toes and ensures that the small victories or uplifting moments are enjoyed ten times over. You’ll certainly care if you witness their demise as well, and credit should go to the character development for making those connections with the player.
Each human character has its own unique identity and personalities, which helps to create a nice balance in the group dynamics. Takuma is the down-to-earth type, Minoru is the class clown, Aoi likes rules, and so on. It would be rude not to compliment the Digimon as well, who bring their own different poses to the table and have an interesting conversation. There are no complaints in terms of design either, as they all look like they’ve been taken straight from an anime, and they’re very well voiced – if only in Japanese (subtitles are available).
Given how the events play out in the form of a visual novel, you can expect a lot of reading. There are also quite a few exploration segments, where you switch between scenes in areas such as a schoolhouse, the forest, an amusement park, and more. Occasionally, these sections are limited with regard to the number of interactions that can be made until the plot progresses automatically. The back and forth nature does get a little tiresome, especially if the conversation doesn’t really offer anything new. The backgrounds aren’t much to look at either, with much less visual clarity than anything in the foreground, to the point where zooming in is pretty bad. However, if we focus on the positives, there is a nice little feature that uses a smartphone camera to search for collectibles and useful items.
Plus, choosing reactions during interactions with your fellow survivors is a common action, thankfully, with real consequences. Building affinity in these moments is important for gaining support in battle, while karma affects how your Digimon evolves and will lead you to different paths later in the adventure. Bad decisions can even lead to more of your allies being killed, putting the seriousness of your role into perspective. It also adds hugely to the replayability factor if you’re looking to enjoy further playthroughs through New Game Plus, as you can get alternate endings, take different routes, and save those who face untimely demise.
So those are the incredibly long and packed visual novel parts that get covered, leaving the part that people probably have high hopes for – the battle. The story-based battles are uncommon and, by design, take up a small portion of each chapter. For example, if a chapter lasts three hours, you’re lucky to spend an average of half an hour on skirmishes. It’s somewhat disappointing, but a Free Battle option – more on that soon – amplifies the action to scratch that itch some more.
Anyway, as a turn-based tactical affair, it’s reminiscent of another game I played recently, Fae Tactics. Essentially, your Digimon are thrown into an environment divided by square tiles and the general rule of thumb is to defeat the enemy before they take you out. Both vertical and horizontal movements are possible as you try to navigate the landscape to reach the enemies. Positioning is key, with side and rear attacks dealing extra damage, so you’ll need to think carefully to succeed – or just lower the difficulty.
Depending on the Digimon, their range of movement and attack range may be better or worse than the next. The bird-like Falcon is able to climb further vertically and maneuver horizontally than, for example, Agumon. Each Digimon has stats for speed, attack, defense, resistance to certain elemental types, and the like, with increases gained by leveling up through XP earned. Being able to freeze, stun, poison and generally stop the enemy from moving really helps keep combat interesting for a short time.
On the other hand, the Digimon have a very limited range of moves and by that I only mean a standard attack and a special one. The animations for the special moves – and the evolutions – are great, but I’d like to have a few more options to choose from for each creature. And then there would be a little more variety in the action. The environments are also jaded, in stark contrast to the beautiful and often cute Digimon character models.
I find the battles with the big bad boss quite enjoyable because of the way certain factors can affect how they unfold. One in particular sees your friends and their Digimon trapped, leaving you shorthanded for battle. It allows you to head straight for the boss or swerve to get some reinforcements by rescuing the people in need first. Otherwise, you could end most battles on autopilot or the in-game auto-battle feature, especially free battles.
Free battles are great for expanding your roster and farming XP to make sure your gang is as strong as possible. If you venture with up to six Digimons, you’ll face a selection of different enemies depending on the area you’re currently exploring, and you can initiate them as many times as you like. More important, though, is the ability to collect additional Digimon for your team. Unlike Pokemon or Nexomon, the recruiting policy consists of talking to them before they do any harm and answering a few questions to appease their particular personalities. It’s a new idea that quickly becomes boring and repetitive; once you’ve convinced a few, you probably won’t bother anymore.
Ultimately, Digimon Survive thrives in delivering a dark and mysterious story full of important decisions that can lead to harrowing moments. There are also heartfelt and beautiful bits, with a cast of characters that you can easily get attached to. Unfortunately, it’s a bit let down by a plethora of back-and-forth moves, while the rare fights only prove enjoyable for short periods of time.
There’s no doubt that Digimon Survive is a great visual novel full of content that warrants multiple playthroughs, but the tactical aspect feels like an afterthought. It all depends on what you want from the experience whether you should pick it up or not.
Digimon Survive is for sale at the Xbox store
Digimon. Digital samples. Digimon are the champions! It’s been over two decades since I first heard those immortal words when the Digimon Adventure TV series landed on our shores, offering a slightly darker and more mature alternative to Pokémon. A slew of games were also released during that time; with action-packed RPGs and fighters representing the majority of them. However, the latest incarnation, Digimon Survive, is going in a somewhat tangential direction. That’s right, Digimon Survive is a tactical RPG and visual novel hybrid, with a strong emphasis on the latter. And by heavy I mean a WarGreymon format…
Digimon Survival Review
Digimon Survival Review
2022-08-09
James Birks
Advantages:
- Dark and mysterious story
- Excellent character growth and designs
- Decisions with real consequences
- replayability
cons:
- Exploring can be a chore with too much back and forth
- The turn-based combat aspect is missing
Information:
- Huge thanks for the free copy of the game go to – Bandai Namco
- Formats – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, PC
- Version Reviewed – Xbox Series X
- Release Date – July 29, 2022
- Introductory price from – £39.99
TXH score
4/5
Advantages:
- Dark and mysterious story
- Excellent character growth and designs
- Decisions with real consequences
- replayability
cons:
- Exploring can be a chore with too much back and forth
- The turn-based combat aspect is missing
Information:
- Huge thanks for the free copy of the game go to – Bandai Namco
- Formats – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, PC
- Version Reviewed – Xbox Series X
- Release Date – July 29, 2022
- Introductory price from – £39.99
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