Digimon is one of those franchises I was into somewhat as a kid but not that much, other than watching the first 2 seasons of the anime. However, the games based on the franchise have a great reputations and two of the best have now come to Switch and PC. These games target an older audience and succeed in that task well. Forget preconceived notions of what the franchise is, because these games take things in a new direction.
Cyber Sleuth takes place in the distant future, where the net has become a fully digitized version of modern life called Cyberspace Eden. Avatars of people do business, hang out, go on dates in a full virtual reality while others do less than honorable things. Our protagonist soon gets drawn into events with the seedy underside of Eden with hackers and events leading them to gain access to Digimon and becoming half digitized themselves and able to travel between the real world and the digital world much easier through terminals. The gameplay is very much in line with other Mon JRPG games. You collect Digimon and use them in battle but there is a twist. You must battle a Digimon several times in order to get information and data that will allow you to acquire said Digimon. This is a unique take on the genre and actually makes multiple battles something to look forward to, since they bring you closer to the Digimon you want.
Battles are turn based and the system has a Rock, Paper, Scissors format where Digimon of one type will be strong against another but weak against yet another. When up against a Digimon they are strong against, they can do extra damage but if they are against one that they are weak against, then they will do less damage. The system itself is easy to figure out and the game helps by giving reminders and an in game system showing which are strong and weak against what type and even giving advice in battle. This is not a case of holding your hand like some might think but rather something that very much comes in handy during the tougher parts of the game.
The visuals are absolutely amazing. The graphics show off the stunning art design and while the environments might seem a little on the small side, they have plenty to explore and their size actually helps them stand out visually. The game runs at a smooth sixty frames per second and I experienced no slowdown, screen tearing or frame-rate drops at any point. There is a fixed camera that while annoying at a few times, is mostly done well and actually helpful. The music in the game is absolutely fantastic. The battle themes, area themes, sound effects and more are all spot on and fit the mood perfectly. t. I was looking for any fault I could find with the sound in this game but in the end, the only issue I had was when I was playing back some recording I had taken using the Switch, but that was it.. The sound in the second half of the game in particular is excellent and really fits with what the game becomes thematically in that part.
When you acquire a Digimon or evolve/Digivolve one, they start again at level one. This may seems annoying but is actually very welcome as it forces you to plan strategically on when to digivolve and how to level up. There are areas to leave the Digimon to gain experience while you progress in the game as well so that was a nice touch.I was afraid I wouldn’t understand anything going on in the game given that I am not super familiar with Digimon. Thankfully my fears were for not as the game does not require that much prior knowledge and fills you in on what you need to know. As mentioned above, the developers were targeting an older audience with this game and it shows. In the second half of the game it becomes a much darker game and takes on new themes but it never becomes an alienating premise. I appreciate a game like this a great deal.
Now with regards to the second game Hacker’s Memory is a bit different. It is not a true sequel, but rather a midquel that takes place in the world of the first game.
While in the Cyber Slueth game the player ran around as a true hero; this one casts you as somewhat of an antihero. Keisuke Amane is a good person whose identity is stolen and made out to be a villain. He’s a normal student who just wants to get through school, flung into a chaotic situation when he is thrown out of school for hacking. Of course, he never took part in such activities, so he decides it’d be best to fix things. The digital world EDEN which has merged with the real world is the stage that this adventure is set on. Keisuke joins up with a group called Hudie to take down the hackers and learns how to hack himself. Of course, unlike other hackers, Hudie is out to save the day. Using their hacking skills this team takes requests and helps anyone who asks. Keisuke might not be thrilled at first to join in but he has to save his life somehow. If the player has played Cyber Sleuth then interacting with older characters will be a treat. The cast of the first game returns in this one as it is set amidst the time of the first game. This game jumps in around the middle of the first game so things haven’t gone to hell in a handbasket yet. This might just lead to things playing out a little differently which is, of course, a good thing.
This game has 320 Digimon for the player to rear and collect which is 70 over the last game. This will certainly lead to players making different teams as the player rounds up their favorite Digimon. The digi farm returns from the last game allowing players to train their Digimon . This game also lets the player’s Digimon raise themselves which is often a good thing. The battles are also an important aspect of the game as this is where the most training is done. In battle, the player will choose moves and lead their friends to attack.
Taking down enemies will allow the player to gain access to the different Digimon they face. It might seem a little strange, but with every encounter with a Digimon, the player fills a certain percent of data. This allows the player to create the Digimon and use the creature for themselves. This is decisively different from other monster-raising RPG’s and that’s a good thing. Usually, a monster capture RPG involves a simple capture and the monster is yours. This adds just another layer to the intricate web of how this game operates and makes it special. Battles are an important aspect of this game, and it will take a good deal of the player’s time.
If the player has any wish to grind, this game has a few systems in place to make that easier. There is an auto-battle system that could save some time if used correctly. While it might make things faster, the player needs to be aware of their friend’s health as the Digimon will only auto attack. If the player is into grinding, playing like this can certainly help as it lets the player do other tasks.
There really isn’t a perfect rhyme or reason to how Digimon actually digivolve and that’s a cool thing. It’s always thrilling finding new Digimon and seeing how they actually digivolve. Bouncing the Digimon from their different stages will also give the player access to new Digimon. While it might seem crazy to dedigivolve a mega to a rookie, the player might find a Digimon that they like even more. While it might often take a long time to assemble a team of the player’s favorite Digimon, it’s a lot of fun. Digimon Hacker is, at its core, an adventure game, and if the player has spent any time at all playing Cyber Sleuth they should enjoy this game. This game is great because it ties up loose ends the first game left. In fact, Keisuke knows the other protagonist’s boss, Kyoko Kuremi and is the reason she actually wants an assistant in Cyber Sleuth. Just this simple fact, makes this game worth playing, especially if the player enjoyed the first game. It really is interesting watching the characters live even fuller lives simply by inserting new characters into the mix!
The artwork in the game is still as amazing as it ever was in Cyber Sleuth. The anime cutscenes are fantastic and the new characters fit in perfectly with this crazy version of Japan. Like any JRPG that takes place in Japan, it is definitely a treat to roam the streets of a city like Shibuya. Personally, I find it exciting to do, even if so many other games make use of the city.
Both of the games in the complete edition should appeal to a wide variety of Digimon fans, as they are truly is one of the few games that allow players to amass an army of their favorite Digimon. The stories are and the overall gameplay just feels different that what you might expect. This feels more like a Persona style game and that works perfectly in this writer’s opinion. I highly recommend this,
Disclaimer: A review key was provided