Image Credit: Steam Store
Playtime: ~40 hours
Completion: Story finished
Platform: PC
Genre: Turn-Based RPG, Monster Collecting
Final Score: ★★★★☆ 8/10
🧠 First Impressions
I don’t believe it — a game made with Unreal Engine 5 that actually runs smoothly. In 2025, that’s headline news by itself. Digimon Story: Time Stranger feels like the game Pokémon fans have been begging for. It’s essentially Shin Megami Tensei with Digimon
Right from the start, it nails that nostalgic yet fresh balance. This isn’t just a nostalgia cash-in; it’s a legitimate RPG that respects its mechanics, performance, and players’ time.
⚙️ Gameplay & Progression
The gameplay is solid and satisfying — your classic rock-paper-scissors elemental system with Fire, Water, Nature, and much more elements in the interplay. It’s easy to pick up the game. The hardest part begins when you can start crafting different team compositions.
That rhythm of scanning, evolving, and swapping Digimon never gets old. Battles move quickly, flashy enough to keep you engaged without wasting time. Turn order, combo attacks, and buffs create a genuine layer of strategy, and once your team clicks, it scratches that classic RPG itch perfectly.
It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. Time Stranger delivers that loop of discovery and evolution that every monster battler dreams of.
🎨 Graphics & Animations
Visually, this game pops. Unreal Engine 5 brings crisp textures, soft lighting, and smooth performance. Everything feels clean and colorful — modern without losing the series’ Saturday-morning charm.
Watching the cutscenes where the Digimons digivolve mid-battle never stops being satisfying. The transformation sequences look fantastic without dragging on, and special attacks hit with real impact. It’s a treat to watch your team come alive in motion.
🦖 Digimon Variety
The roster is impressive — way more Digimon than expected. Building teams feels like collecting your childhood dream lineup all over again. There are still some odd absences (you’ll notice a few favorites missing for no clear reason), but overall the selection gives you plenty of room to experiment with builds and tactics. I particularly got nostalgic when I saw most of the Digimons from the first one I played on my Nintendo DS.
✍️ Story & Dialogue
Here’s where the gears start grinding. The story is fine — serviceable, not offensive — but your player character might as well not exist. You’re a silent shadow tagging along while the operator and Aegiomon carry every conversation. It becomes The Inori & Aegiomon Show, while you quietly stand there like an unpaid intern.
There’s no emotional connection to anything you do, and by the end, you’re left wondering why you were even invited to this adventure. Well atleast you were invited for a reason but why spoil all the story just to answer that question.
🌿 Digifarm Management
Ah, the Digifarm — a feature that’s equal parts genius and headache. It’s fantastic for passive training and stat growth, but actually managing it is tedious.
You can’t check Digivolutions for Digimon currently stationed in the farm without removing them first. Feeding them requires the same animation over and over again, and it’s honestly torture after the 20th repeat. One simple “Feed All” button would fix it instantly.
Still, when it works, it’s rewarding. Watching your little monsters evolve from the sidelines while you explore the digital world gives a nice sense of progression — it just needs a serious quality-of-life patch.
I did not used the Digifarm at all during my gameplay as just the sheer amount of leveling up your rooster and backups get is enough to get tons of good ultimate, mega, and mega+ when the time comes to digievolving.
🌍 Character & World-Building
Pretty much nonexistent. The world looks pretty, but it feels rushed. Outside of the main story missions, you don’t get much sense of who these people are or why they matter. There’s almost no meaningful side content or character bonding, which is a shame given how well the gameplay side performs.
📝 Category Breakdown
- Gameplay Loop: 9/10 – Fast, tactical, and addictive.
- Graphics & Performance: 9/10 – Smooth Unreal Engine 5 experience, shockingly well-optimized.
- Story & Characters: 5/10 – Competent writing wasted on a hollow protagonist.
- Digifarm System: 6/10 – Great idea, poor execution.
- Variety & Content: 8/10 – Big roster and plenty of evolutions to chase.
✅ Final Verdict
Digimon Story: Time Stranger won me over. It’s not perfect, but it’s easily one of the most enjoyable Digimon RPGs in years. The gameplay, visuals, and roster carry the experience, while the lack of character depth and Digifarm tedium hold it back from greatness.
If you’ve ever wanted Pokémon gameplay with a bit more bite — this is it. It’s stylish, fast, and surprisingly polished for an Unreal Engine 5 title.
🔥 Clay’s Take
This game honestly shocked me. It’s fun, it runs beautifully, and it respects the player’s time — something Game Freak should take notes on. The story may fall flat, but the gameplay loop more than makes up for it.
If you’re a Digimon fan, you owe it to yourself to give Time Stranger a go. For once, “Digimon > Pokémon” doesn’t sound like a meme.
Final Score: ★★★★☆ 8/10
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