Digimon Story: Time Stranger hands-on report

It’s been a hot minute since the last Digimon game graced our screens, but the wait is nearly over – Digimon Story Time Stranger will be advancing the series in fresh ways when it hits PS5 on October 3. I was lucky enough to spend some time with the monster-taming RPG to find out what evolutions await.

An intriguing story, set within stunning sights

My introduction to this new era of Digimon was bookended by two separate story beats. The first was the opening of the game, where I chose Dan Yuki (and then later Kanan Yuki, but my choice didn’t affect the story) of ADAMAS, a secret organisation charged with investigating and fixing anomalous phenomena. And it just so happens there’s one in Shinjuku.

A trek across my starting point in Tokyo led to an encounter with some Digimon within a perilous underground section, a broken and abandoned office space, and eventually a fraught battle on top of a skyscraper.

While this created a good foundation for the game, the second story section was a comparative explosion of colourful fantasy, letting me explore the Digital World’s Abyss Area. Sure, Tokyo has its charms, but the Abyss Area’s beautiful and unapologetic depiction of the Digimon culture ranks as one of the most impressive sights in the series to date. Between the clear pools, shimmering rock formations, and a group of Digimon revering MarineAngemon singing and dancing, it was an unforgettable set-up that truly showed off the glossy, anime-style visuals.  

It has a mature side

The Digimon series is no stranger to deep themes and topics, so fans will be happy to hear that even this curated playtest showed signs that Time Stranger isn’t going to shy away from big questions. Between the two story sections, there were already clear indications that there’s an exploration of interspecies war between the Digimon and Titans, the pressure of societal expectations, and even the navigation of mental health when I was visiting Shellmon and trying to discover why they haven’t left their home.

There are still plenty of light-hearted laughs

Even when the stakes are high, Digimon Story Time Stranger doesn’t forget its Saturday morning cartoon influences, either. Any brooding is balanced by its desire to have fun and deliver a lightness of touch, whether it’s through the idle animations of your party members, its joyful voice acting, humorous dialogue choices when talking to NPCs, or the ability to collect a variety of incidental cards and costumes.

Not to mention that, yes, you can ride some of the Digimon in your team via the DigiRide option. Does it make traversing the environment any quicker? Only in some cases. But is it fun to see your agent hop on Leomon’s shoulder as you romp through a kaleidoscopic land of wonder? Oh yes.

Starting out with familiar RPG elements

Digimon Story Time Stranger’s tried and tested battle system has plenty of familiarities to get you started. My first encounter with the cute digital monsters offered me a choice between the Data mammal Patamon, Vaccine sea beast Gomamon, or Virus little devil DemiDevimon.

As usual, this is a gentle intro to the ‘rock-paper-scissors’ attribute system that sets up the turn-based battle mechanic – Vaccine is strong against Virus, Virus is powerful against Data, and Data is best against Vaccine. But on top of that, they can possess four other attributes and 11 elements such as Water, Plant, and Dark, meaning there are a vast combination of how your 450+ Digimon can shape up. Which translates into varied and strategic combat to figure out how to exploit your enemy’s vulnerabilities.

DigiAttacks, new Personality system, and more

What’s more of a surprise is the intricacies added to the battle system. For one, enemies are now visible on-screen, so you can sometimes avoid them or trigger pre-emptive strikes by pressing R2 for a DigiAttack, which can instantly defeat weaker foes.

I also got to play with the Personality system, which is designed to make each Digimon more individual. Depending on where your beastie lines up within the 16 different personality types, bracketed into Philanthropy, Valor, Wisdom, and Amicability, you’ll benefit from stat and skill perks. For example, ‘Friendly’ gives Defence and Attack buffs when coupled with the Slow Starter personality skill, which provides attack boosts from round four onward.

These personalities can be changed based on mini conversations you have with your Digimon, too. During quiet moments, you can engage with your pals, who will ask curious questions. My Leomon enquired if I was being reckless and that maybe I should take a break. When I replied with gratitude, they responded that they simply didn’t want me to collapse, which then turned their personality to Philanthropy.

Another time, my Dinohyumon asked the surprisingly philosophical question if we can overcome anything by being brave, to which I responded that “other things mattered, too”. He sighed with “ugh, that’s tough,” and I was given the option to replace an old personality skill with the new one of First in Line, so in subsequent battles, he always got to act before everyone else. Handy.

So many mysteries to uncover

In the near couple of hours I played, it was clear that Digimon Story Time Stranger was rife with secrets. I briefly got to explore the In-Between Theatre, a multi-dimensional space populated with odd faceless beings and managed by recurring character Mirei Mikagura. While the Theatre could be used to travel to other areas, there were clearly other uses and elements it was hiding beneath its luxurious décor.

There were also lots of nice little gameplay elements to keep things fresh, including a thrilling chase sequence where I had to escape from a brutal MetalGreymon, and the ability to use R2 when exploring to blast through obstructions and also receive hints when noteworthy items were nearby.

There’ll be plenty more to discover across time and space when Digimon Story Time Stranger releases on October 3 on PS5 – and based on my experiences you’re going to have the time of your digital life.