When it comes to games about human kids partnering with cute critters that can evolve into powerful monsters, I’ve always been a bigger fan of Digimon than Pokemon. But most of that preference comes down to what’s outside the video games: Digimon has more interesting monster designs, for example, and a far superior anime. Pokemon has always had the video games I prefer to play, usually having more engaging gameplay loops and satisfying battles.
Digimon’s latest foray, however, Digimon Story: Time Stranger, has finally shifted the needle for me. While its story and characters don’t rise to the heights achieved in the best moments of the Digimon anime, Time Stranger is a consistently fun turn-based RPG with great voice acting and rewarding, strategic team-building.
In Time Stranger, you play as an agent of a secret organization that works in the shadows of Tokyo to find, study, and confront urban legends, many of which turn out to be a strange lifeform the higher-ups have nicknamed Digimon. During your latest mission, you witness the emergence of a terrifying behemoth that destroys the city and begins spreading devastation across Japan.
