With Digimon Story Time Stranger, Media.Vision and Bandai Namco return to the RPG space with another attempt to establish Digimon as a strong alternative in the monster-taming genre. On PlayStation 5, the game immediately makes a striking impression with its premise: a story that plays with time travel, parallel worlds, and the collapse of both human and Digital realms. It sets itself apart from its rivals by leaning heavily into narrative twists and character drama, with themes of fate and connection woven throughout. While some story beats risk becoming overly complex, the ambitious writing helps give this entry a distinctive identity.
That emphasis on narrative is supported by the game’s structure, which has players shifting between Tokyo and the Digital World of Iliad. The contrast between these locations is one of the game’s strengths: a familiar but detail-rich real-world setting on one hand, and colorful, often mysterious realms on the other. The atmosphere in Iliad, particularly with its variety of regions and interactive elements, makes exploration engaging even when the pacing slows. Some players may find the story sequences overly drawn out, but for those who value immersion and lore, the payoff is substantial.
Gameplay-wise, Time Stranger blends traditional turn-based RPG combat with some thoughtful tweaks. With more than 450 Digimon available, battles allow for a great deal of variety and customization. The emphasis on exploiting affinities and planning team synergies keeps encounters from feeling like button-mashing exercises, and evolving Digimon adds a rewarding sense of progression. On the downside, the difficulty curve can be inconsistent, with certain spikes that force heavy grinding, and the user interface is not always intuitive when managing large rosters. Still, fans of strategy-heavy RPG systems will find plenty to enjoy.
On PS5, the game benefits from sharp visuals and smooth performance, though not all aspects of presentation feel equally polished. Character models and major Digimon evolutions look great, but environments sometimes lack the level of detail seen in competing RPGs. Cutscenes, however, shine with strong animation and voice acting that bring dramatic moments to life. The soundtrack, alternating between energetic battle tracks and moody ambient themes, is another highlight, helping maintain momentum across both worlds.
The controls are straightforward and easy to learn, though navigating menus can occasionally feel cumbersome given the wealth of options for Digimon management. The game’s quality-of-life features, such as shortcuts for switching skills or managing evolution trees, help streamline the experience, but a few rough edges remain. These are small obstacles in what is otherwise a solidly executed RPG framework.
Ultimately, Digimon Story Time Stranger succeeds in carving out a space of its own rather than simply chasing Pokémon’s shadow. Its emphasis on storytelling, its deep bench of Digimon to collect and train, and its ambitious worldbuilding give it a personality that makes it worth exploring. While uneven difficulty, pacing issues, and some presentation shortcomings hold it back from greatness, it stands as a strong step forward for the franchise and one of the most compelling Digimon RPGs in recent years.
Score: 8.0/10
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