Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Review

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, is the game every Digimon fan around the world has needed in their lives since the series first aired in 1999.

Background

A franchise that has been in constant competition with Pokémon, Digimon has often lingered in the shadows. As new generations of Pokemon games were continuously released, Digimon gradually started to fall behind.

That is,until Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth arrived on the scene. Perhaps blessed with the fact that there was no main series Pokémon game released last year, Cyber Sleuth is a game that really stands out from the crowd. A game that gives fans what they want, without compromising. Everything from the graphics, to the plot, to the broad choice of usable Digimon make this one game, worth trying.

Story

Opening in a chat room, the introductory segment of the game really sets the tone of the game as one that is very much reflective of society and technology today. Players have a choice of controlling either a male or female character. Once chosen,  you promptly receive a Digivice, earning the ability to utilise Digimon Capture which allows players to capture and befriend Digimon.

Beginning in an area of cyberspace known as Eden where an arranged meeting ends up going awry, when an entity known as an ‘Eater’ appears. Attacked by the Eater, the main character’s data is corrupted,  leaving him/her in a semi-digitized state. This state however grants the character an ability to see and interact with digital waves in the real world, giving the player easy access to the digital world.

It’s not long before you find yourself recruited into the cyber division of a detective agency by the ever attractive Kyoko Kuremi, (who, for a detective has a very questionable dress sense). As part of the agency,  you take an active role in solving mysteries, helping people and Digimon alike, as you  gradually raise a formidable team of Digimon sidekicks, ready to do battle.

Despite the fact that this game was not dubbed, and still retains it’s Japanese voice acting, the English subbing is of a very high standard. There are plenty of games out there that have suffered from lazy, literal translations, but the use of internet slang terms, and cultural references, as well as subtle nods to other series , really make this game feel cool and current. Added to the various personalities of the NPCs you encounter and the quirky personalities of the supporting cast, give this game some solid substance.

Gameplay

Unraveling mysteries, and helping to take out the digital trash, the gameplay of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth really puts emphasis on your role as a cyber sleuth in the game. The more missions you successfully complete, the higher your sleuth ranking rises.

Putting so much emphasis on being a cyber sleuth and doing missions really gives this game a refreshing spin, as a lot of games put a large emphasis on leveling up, and getting stronger instead. Missions even have star difficulty levels allowing you to choose what missions your current team of digital monsters could handle.

There is also a great Farm feature which allows you to train a number of Digimon in the background while you progress in the story.

The process of catching Digimon is also relatively easy compared to some of the earlier Digimon World games. As you run through levels, you randomly encounter Digimon in battle. Your Digivice scans these Digimon upon entering the battle, and once you’ve encountered each Digimon enough times, achieving a minimum of 100% scan rating, you will be able to hatch your very own Digimon.

In battle, you can only use a maximum of three of your own Digimon at a time, however you are able to have a number of reserves that you can switch in at any stage during the battle.

The digital world itself is home to various different lobbies, and forums, representing various sub cultures. The levels themselves can be a very linear, but you will generally find a couple of unique new Digimon in each new area you enter, which does distract from any monotony.

Overall Verdict

Incorporating Digimon from the anime series’ throughout the years, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth succeeds where past Digimon games have failed. With so many options available in Digimon to raise, and a unique detective adventure. What are you even waiting for? Start your digital adventure today!

If you’ve ever been a Digimon fan, you’ll love this.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth is available now on PS4 and PSVita.

Adam Lacey