Mrpoelie After being completely obsessed with Pokémon as a child, Pikachu and friends had to make way for other digital monsters called Digimon. Just like with Pokémon, I spent a long time as a kid completely hooked on the anime. However, despite being a fan, I never got into playing Digimon games. While I played a whole range of Pokémon games as a child, Digimon remained unexplored. The reason for this is that I only had a Gameboy back then, while most Digimon games were released on the PlayStation. Now, all these years later, a new game called Digimon Story: Time Stranger has recently been released. After seeing gameplay and several trailers, I was genuinely excited to dive into a monster game again and rekindle some nostalgia.
Team Up with Digimon to Stop the Apocalypse
The story of Digimon Story: Time Stranger takes place alternately in the real world and the digital realm known as Iliad, home to the Digimon. As an ADAMAS agent — a character chosen before starting the game — players can take on the role of either a boy named Dan Yuki or a girl named Kanan Yuki.
After becoming involved in a time travel incident, the protagonist finds themselves eight years in the past, where they must join forces with Digimon to prevent an apocalyptic event that threatens to destroy the world.
Gameplay as the Real Star of the Game
First and foremost, both worlds are well-designed and enjoyable to explore. Both the real world in Japan and Iliad are beautifully crafted, though it sometimes feels a bit restrictive that you cannot freely explore the semi-open world. The segmented zones feel limiting at times, and it’s a shame the developers didn’t go for a fully open world. Although I usually enjoy more linear gameplay experiences, it feels like a minor drawback here. The story is well-written, although it sometimes plays it safe and doesn’t offer many surprises, but it is still fun to follow.
Beyond the well-designed worlds, the real star of the game is its gameplay. As in Pokémon, you can collect a wide variety of monsters to use in battles. You can also evolve your Digimon into stronger versions, which will sound familiar to fans of other Japanese monster franchises. The difference is that you don’t catch them but acquire them by scanning them when you encounter them in the world. In battles, you can deploy three Digimon to defeat opponents, with support from three guest Digimon in the story. Just like in Pokémon, Digimon are divided into different types. There are Data, Virus, and Vaccine variants, and each type is stronger or weaker against certain other types.
Extremely Enjoyable Gameplay Loop
Digimon Story: Time Stranger uses turn-based combat, similar to other games in the genre, which is well-executed. Battles are fun and occasionally quite challenging. Combat remains engaging throughout the game, and experimenting with different Digimon is always interesting. The gameplay loop of strengthening your Digimon and unlocking new monsters is extremely enjoyable.
Although the game is set in a Digimon-themed world, it is, in every respect, a classic JRPG. You can talk to NPCs, use and purchase items, unlock and upgrade skills, and there are dungeons to explore. Additionally, you can take on side quests and improve your Digimon’s personalities using skill points earned by completing missions. Digimon have skill trees that allow them to grow stronger and unlock new Cross Arts — special attacks that are beautifully animated, just like all other Digimon attacks in the game.
One major downside, however, is that the game is locked at 30 frames per second on consoles, even on the PS5. While this is not a big issue during turn-based battles, it feels terrible when exploring the world and moving the camera. The game looks good graphically, but not impressive enough that current-generation consoles shouldn’t be able to run it at 60fps. Compared to other titles that do this and look even better, it feels disappointing.
Final Thoughts
I would definitely recommend Digimon Story: Time Stranger to fans of the JRPG genre or Digimon in general. The gameplay loop is extremely fun and offers hours of entertainment, and the combat greatly enhances this experience. Unfortunately, the semi-open world design can feel restrictive at times, and the locked 30fps in 2025 is a drawback, especially knowing that other visually superior games can run at higher frame rates. All in all, it’s a very enjoyable experience that, despite its minor flaws, manages to impress.
Additional Information
Release Date: Oct 3, 2025
Reviewed On: PS5 Pro. Download code provided by the publisher and PR agency.
Developer: Media.Vision Inc.
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
Relevant links: Digimon Story Time Stranger | Official Site
