Although we associate Digimon with a saga for children, the new Digimon Survive game reminds us that everyone can have fun thanks to a deep story. If you want more details, we test it on the Switch in this note.
Historically Digimon is a franchise that was always under the shadow of Pokemon, at least as far as games are concerned. Although this saga had some good titles, the truth is that none managed to be memorable enough to remain in the head and heart of the player, at least until now. The new installment of Digimon Survive, from Bandai Namco, promises to tell us a great adventure with a lot of background. We tested it on Nintendo Switch and tell you the details.
The first thing to know is that Digimon Survive is a somewhat different installment from the previous ones. This is not a RPG like Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth!, but instead It’s more of a visual novel. Although there are tactical role-playing combats, the central axis of the game revolves around the story that they manage to capture. But What would a good story be without being able to make decisions? Well, that’s just another important aspect of the game.
Regarding the plot, Digimon Survive puts as main characters a group of students who undertake a study trip. Hampered by an earthquake, the students head to a sanctuary, at which point they discover they are in another world from which there is no apparent escape.
On the combat side, the feeling seems a bit simpler, this because, as we said, the main axis of the game is its story. It is true that sometimes we will fight and we can digivolve our Digimon, but there will be no greater difficulty than that. In a nutshell, we could compare the combat system with that of Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics.
It should be noted that this game can be a bit strong for children. Visual novels often feature tough, heartbreaking choices that make anyone loose, and Digimon Survive is no exception.. Throughout history we will have to opt for different choices that can lead to the life or death of one of our companions. In the (very possible) case that someone important dies, the other characters will begin to cry and miss him, so it is advisable to have nerves of steel so as not to end up affected by your decisions.
Although this game has RPG elements, we assure you that if you are looking for that, it is not the title for you. It’s for those who like to dive right into a story, with plenty to read and enjoy in an immersive interactive graphic novel rather than a Digimon classic. Although its beginning can feel a bit slow, the story picks up pace and is not afraid to hit you hard so that you feel each advance in its careful script.