From its roots as a virtual pet game to its long-beloved anime series, the Digimon franchise’s storied history has had many ups and downs. Many of its video game entries, such as the absurdly complex yet rewarding PlayStation 1 classic Digimon World, have remained divisive among fans. It was once rare to find a Digimon game that the entire fanbase loved, but the 2015 release of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth changed that. The reverence towards Cyber Sleuth is incredible and is worth trying for any RPG fan.
It’s Going Digital
Cyber Sleuth’s setting centers around a virtual reality world known as Cyberspace EDEN, functioning as the world’s most popular (and possibly only remaining) social network platform and as a hub for all kinds of economic transactions. Despite its sanitized exterior, it holds dark secrets under the surface, as hackers use creatures called Digimon to sew chaos. These Digital Monsters come from their own world and follow the commands of hackers possessing the “Digimon Capture” program.
After following a hacker’s instructions, the protagonist (whose name and gender are chosen by the player) and their two friends are lured into this darker part of EDEN, where they obtain the capture program. After learning how to use it, the protagonist discovers an eldritch creature known as an Eater, which results in their physical body entering a coma in the real world, and their digital body suddenly being capable of entering the real world.
To uncover all the mysteries the protagonist has encountered, they join a detective agency in Tokyo and begin investigating cyber crimes. Cyber Sleuth was developed with older fans of the franchise in mind, enabling a variety of cases to be solved- Some of which are goofy and silly while others are dark and gritty. The game’s plot takes many wild turns which involve ghost sightings, a mad scientist, a literal hacking war, and world-ending threats casually wandering around the city. This game’s narrative begins with strange mysteries and never allows the player to fall into a comfort zone, for no plot twist is off the table.
Engaging Combat Mechanics
As a monster-collecting RPG, Cyber Sleuth involves a robust combat system with multiple difficulty levels. Those who only wish to enjoy the story will likely prefer the easier difficulties, but those who want to get the most out of combat must choose Hard. Like other games in the subgenre, a rock-paper-scissors system of strengths and weaknesses exists. Elemental weaknesses are self-explanatory, as many games follow a similar concept. However, Cyber Sleuth also employs a Digimon-unique Attribute system, where every monster in your possession is classified as one of Virus, Vaccine, Data, or Neutral: Virus beats Data, Data beats Vaccine, and Vaccine beats Data.
The real draw, however, is the evolution system. Each Digimon can evolve into many other Digimon based on their level and particular stats. Because every one of them has a signature move as well as common moves that can be inherited, there is an incredible level of customization. This is furthered by the Digi-Farm, which harkens back to the series’s Tomogatchi-esque roots and enables your monsters to level up automatically and perform tasks even when you are not playing.
Unfortunately, while the game explains the above information adequately, it is not clear about the function of one stat: ABI. This stat is only gained when a Digimon evolves or de-evolves and a lot of it is needed to reach the highest evolution levels. It is a beginner’s trap to only evolve and never de-evolve, only to be walled by this stat in the late game. However, if the player is aware of this going into the game, it is not a very big problem as ABI can be obtained throughout the game.
Digimon Needs More Recognition
Despite the popularity of Cyber Sleuth among Digimon fans, the series is still very niche. Cyber Sleuth made its mark as a great game, but many still fail to see the brand’s unique qualities. However, the game is still readily available on modern platforms (most notably the Switch release, which is especially suited to the Digi-Farm system) so most players can easily try it. If anything about Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth sounds fun or interesting, it is absolutely worth playing.
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