Digimon Story Time Stranger is an RPG for sickos and lapsed fans alike

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As a child, my affection for Digimon was primarily fueled by the anime and films, rather than the toys, cards, comics, or video games. To this day, I stand firm in my belief that “Digimon: The Movie” is a classic, and no one can change my mind about it. Characters like Agumon and Garurumon will remain close to my heart until they place me six feet under. However, at some point, I simply stopped keeping up with it. This wasn’t a deliberate choice; as a Navy brat, we moved frequently, and my new friends didn’t share my Digimon passion. It was lonely to cherish something on my own. In an era before the internet brought us all together constantly, I gradually drifted away from it. Looking back now, I realize that I may have stopped following Digimon for good, but I didn’t notice until many years had passed.

After attending Summer Game Fest, I gave Digimon Story Time Stranger a spin, and let me tell you, there’s a chance I’ll be returning. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – one of the perks of growing older is rediscovering things you’d previously lost contact with. The digital landscape has evolved significantly during my absence, but the essence remains the same. Playing Digimon felt like slipping my hand back into an old glove – comfortable, inviting, and as if it had been patiently waiting for me to return all along.

As a seasoned gamer, I was upfront about my Digimon background when asked. The same honesty extended to the friendly team at Bandai Namco while playing the demo. To put it simply, it’s been a while since I’ve dived into this world, but Time Stranger made me feel right at home again.

Initially, my team and I stepped into the vibrant realm known as the Digital World – Iliad, where Digimon wind down after their digital adventures. Specifically, I found myself in Central Town, bustling with Digimon of assorted sizes and forms. Some were scampering about, others were managing shops, some were playing hide-and-seek, and even Zudoman was working as a blacksmith. The entire town was a hub of activity, pulsating with life in a manner that piqued my curiosity. To add to the allure, everything was bathed in vivid colors and set to a lively tune, which only served to captivate me further. I was genuinely smitten.

Initially, I was able to delve into the game a bit, but my team and I had tasks that required us to reach Central Tower. During our journey, I began to grasp the essence of Digimon Story Time Stranger. To put it simply, this isn’t like other monster-themed games you might be familiar with. Instead of capturing Digimons, we scan them here. If you manage to fully scan a Digimon, you can recruit it into your team. Achieving 200% scan will result in the Digimon joining at a higher level and with additional stats bonuses. It’s like waiting five minutes for two cookies – quite convenient!

In addition to scanning Digimon in Digimon Story Time Stranger, you also have the ability to strengthen them by digitizing them into more powerful forms or reversing that process if desired. Perhaps you prefer the adorable forms and wish to keep them as is. Conversely, maybe you’re interested in de-digivolving them to pave the way for different evolution paths. I won’t pass judgment. With over 450 Digimon available in Digimon Story Time Stranger, it strikes a nice balance between a manageable number of Digimon to remember and acquire, while still being substantial enough to prevent overwhelming feelings of “Why are there so many?”. As someone who would likely be overwhelmed by the current count of over 1,500 Digimon, I appreciate the restraint shown in Time Stranger.

As a gamer, let me tell you about my adventure in Digimon Story Time Stranger. With my party assembled, the star being Tankmon (who’s crucial for what comes next), we embarked on our journey to Central Tower. You see, in this game, you can ride any Digimon, and each one is special in its own way – some are swift, others are deliberate, and a few are cunning. I thought Tankmon would be slow, but boy was I wrong! This guy zooms right along, those treads serving more purpose than just aesthetics.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Producer Ryosuka Hara, who shared that crafting the Digimon to look and feel authentic, both in their world and as you ride them, required a lot of fine-tuning. This level of detail really elevated the gameplay experience for me, showcasing the quality Digimon Story Time Stranger brings to the table.

During my journey towards the Tower, I encountered some virtual combat with Time Stranger, sampling his unique battle system. As mentioned earlier, this game is similar to navigating a DVD menu – you alternate turns, deciding on actions for your team of Digimon, and they execute them. Surprisingly, it’s quite enjoyable!

Digimon appear in three main categories: Data, Vaccine, and Virus. This game follows the rules of Rock, Paper, Scissors; Data beats Vaccine, Vaccine beats Virus, and Virus beats Data. However, there are also weaknesses based on elements such as grass and darkness. It’s not just about having the correct type; they must also have the appropriate elements to deal maximum damage in battles. Fortunately, you can change team members during combat without losing a turn, similar to Final Fantasy X. Additionally, Digimon records the effectiveness of elemental attacks in real time. Simply put, it’s a fantastic system!

In our battle, we found it exciting and fast-paced, and to reach Central Tower and its awaiting boss, we skipped ahead a bit. My team was promoted to their Champion forms. I had Devimon, Greymon, my favorite Kyubimon (Kyubimon is just so awesome), ExVeemon, and BaoHuckmon in my roster. Of course, Tankmon was there too. It’s crucial you know this. Without that knowledge, nothing else I say will make sense. Aegiomon and Minervamon, who were part of the story, accompanied me as guest characters. Overall, I was well-prepared.

My adversary is named Parrotmon. Frankly, no one ever expected Digimon names to be particularly captivating. However, the actual fight was quite intriguing. I was constantly changing my Digimon, choosing the right types for our battle, and learning which moves were effective while applying that knowledge in real-time. In essence, this game seems tailored for Role Playing Game enthusiasts like myself, and I must say, I appreciate such experiences.

How do I know this game is for the ruthless? Let me tell you a story. I was defeating Parrotmon as if he owed me a debt. I quickly realized that he was vulnerable to fire, so Kyubimon was dealing damage with Fox Tail Inferno, and Tankmon was asserting dominance with Hyper Cannon, an attack so strong it takes Tankmon a turn to recover from using it. Isn’t that clever? But wait, there’s more.

I beat Parrotmon like he owed me money. Since Parrotmon is weak against fire, Kyubimon was doing damage with Fox Tail Inferno, and Tankmon was taking control with Hyper Cannon, an attack that leaves Tankmon needing a turn to recover. Sounds cool, right? Here’s the kicker:

I defeated Parrotmon as if he owed me money. Since Parrotmon is weak against fire, Kyubimon was causing damage with Fox Tail Inferno, and Tankmon was taking charge with Hyper Cannon, an attack that leaves Tankmon needing a turn to recover. Isn’t that neat, too?

Since I was relentlessly attacking Parrotmon, I simultaneously accumulated a great deal of CP, which I could then utilize to trigger my agent’s Cross Art, an exceptional ability that enhanced the overall performance of my team after she… transformed her phone into a makeshift weapon and fired upon them? Let’s go with this version, no problem, let’s get moving.

Previously, I used to battle Parrotmon, but now I had him cornered. Then it was Tankmon’s opportunity once more. Ah, Glorious Tankman! You need to grasp this: so far, inflicting 1,000 damage in a single blow was impressive. But then, Tankmon unleashed his Hyper Cannon, dealing around 2,000 damage as a critical hit, and I bypassed his next phase entirely. The Bandai Namco PR representatives informed me that they had never witnessed such an occurrence before, but this wasn’t a negative event. Instead, it was the exact kind of experience you hope for in a Role-Playing Game, and it gave me an unforgettable tale.

After my demonstration concluded, I had an engaging chat with producer Ryosuka Hara, and discovered some fascinating aspects about Digimon Story Time Stranger. Notably, it features a time-travel aspect, as hinted by the title. The initial instance of time travel is not under your control. I’m yet to find out if that changes later in the game, but I’m eagerly anticipating the answer.

In addition, they highlighted the flexibility in personalizing your Digimon. You’ll be able to acquire Skill Attachments from stores or discover them in treasure chests, enabling you to teach skills that they wouldn’t naturally acquire and create teams according to your preference, not merely based on your opponents. Moreover, there are equipment options for stat enhancement, as well as over 450 different Digimon to explore. In other words, there’s plenty to delve into!

Initially, I approached Digimon Story Time Stranger as a former fan who had lost touch with the series, but I ended up desiring even more after playing it. The game is visually stunning, offers an exceptional combat system, fantastic music, and there are numerous Digimon to interact with and fight against. To add to its appeal, it’s set in a time-travel narrative. This one’s for the die-hard fans! Once I thought I had moved on, they managed to draw me back in. Looks like I should go ahead and find a copy of Cyber Sleuth so I can be ready for my next adventure in the Digital World.

The sneak peek we saw was from a private demo at Summer Game Fest. Digimon Story Time Stranger is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC on October 3rd, 2025.

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2025-06-19 15:58