I can’t stop thinking about Digimon Story: Time Stranger. It’s left such an impression that it occupies at least a third of my waking thoughts. As a long-time Digimon fan who grew up on Digimon World 3, the Digimon Pendulums, and the Digimon anime, this is a game that’s clearly for me, but after a recent preview, I’m convinced it could be for everyone.
With a more ambitious plot, and a real sense of grandeur, this is a Digimon game that is poised to eclipse most modern adaptations. It looks gorgeous in action, battles are streamlined and dynamic, and there’s ample personality to every Digimon. Playing through the first hour or so, I need to know more, immediately. Even with the game just weeks away, I want it now.
It’s a callback to the original Digimon RPGs in all the best ways, with so much reminiscent of my time playing Digimon World as a child. Time Stranger has that same sense of adventure and mystery, and it’s backed by the same dark tone that frightening and inspired me, years ago. It wastes no time hauling you into its world of strange anomalies, with a real magic in how it sweeps your reality out from under you.
Taking your first steps in Digimon Story: Time Stranger
The tale of Digimon Story: Time Stranger begins with the introduction of your chosen hero, a male or female agent of an organisation working to cover up or otherwise fix strange anomalies that crop up in the real world. While these are usually small, as the action kicks off, a significant anomaly found underground is making waves. It’s your job to investigate, and figure out why strange creatures have begun appearing where they shouldn’t.
After you’re attacked by beasties you’ve never seen before, you’re granted the option to pick a companion Digimon – DemiDevimon (my choice, I’m not playing this game without Beelzemon Blast Mode by my side), Patamon, or Gomamon – and then, you must battle an array of Digimon as they encroach on your territory.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger clued me into its scale the moment I entered its first dungeon. As you roam, you’ll face off with a range of low-powered Digimon – but swiftly, you’ll discover your initial disturbance is being caused by an enormous MetalGreymon (Virus) which towers over you, and threatens the very pillars that surround you. You are but a speck against this enormity, with each of the creature’s footfalls creating shockwaves. It’s scary, and Digimon games are so rarely scary.
That’s part of what Time Stranger so compelling. It leans into the magic and escapism of Digimon, without shying away from its genuine horror. Digimon might be a kid-friendly franchise, but the anime certainly goes places, and there’s quite a few episodes I watched as a kid that’ve stuck with me, in my nightmares.
MetalGreymon (Virus) is a terror, and that’s just the start of Time Stranger‘s story. Winding your way around this ground-pounding menace, you’ll eventually work your way through an office block, up each floor, with new horrors awaiting around every corner. Take too long pondering your next move, or puzzling through a neat environment challenge, and you’ll feel the wrath of a barrelling, tentacled Kurisarimon. Franchise stalwart Numemon is around as well, with the iconic green slug leering, as ever.
Combat in Digimon Story: Time Stranger
With combat streamlined and simple, there’s satisfaction – rather than frustration – in each new encounter. Gone are the random encounters of old. Here, you can see your opponent coming, and they’ll rush you if you get too close. When you inevitably run face-first into danger, you’ll be able to put monsters away in snappy, flashy rounds of combat.
For reference, this combat takes a lot from the Cyber Sleuth series. Depending on whether you initiate a forward attack or not, your Digimon will be placed in a turn-based combat order, and you can then use each to unleash a regular or higher-powered attack. Each Digimon has a strength and a weakness, as discovered in battle, and you’ll need to match types to ensure ample damage.
Like Cyber Sleuth, this game also has a Digi-Convert feature, which means every time you fight a Digimon, you gather data on them – and if you wish, you can then duplicate them, to add to your team. You’ll also need to Digivolve and De-Evolve your Digimon as usual, if you want to build their stats enough to get to the best Digivolutions.
With an ever-more-powerful array of monsters waiting in the wings, you’ll want to spend ample time looking after each of your Digimon, and preparing them for more frightening battles.
A highlight reel of Digimon‘s past
It would be fair to call Digimon Story: Time Stranger a ‘best of’ game, in that regard. It adapts plenty of the best features of other Digimon games, while expanding the usual scope and story. In my travels, which took me from the underground car park haunted by MetalGreymon (Virus), all the way to the Digital World – to a watery island filled with Shellmon and Gekomon – I noticed plenty of nods (and even returning features) that’ll make long-time fans happy.
In a short hour, Digimon Story: Time Stranger painted a bright, promising picture of its future. It gave me hope that it’ll be the Digimon game fans have long desired, and that it’ll go bigger and better, compared to its predecessors. From the base of Cyber Sleuth, developer Media.Vision is building something very grand – and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger is set to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 3 October 2025.
