Digimon Story: Time Stranger Review, Aka The Best Digimon Game Yet

Courtesy of Bandai Namco

This product was provided by Bandai Namco

Following about eight years of intermittent and quiet development, Bandai Namco and developer MediaVision have now produced what could be the definitive Digimon RPG. The game, Digimon Story: Time Stranger, was released on October 2, 2025, for the PC (through Steam), the PS5, the Xbox Series X, and the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and comes with a substantial legacy to meet as it is the much-anticipated sequel to the popular Cyber Sleuth series, fulfilling mostly on that expectation.

Story and Setting

The players assume the role of a member of ADAMAS, a secretive group whose job it is to investigate paranormal anomalies caused by Digimon. When pursuing one of these anomalies, the main character witnesses a world-ending situation and is then transported eight years into the past, establishing a time-travel plot that involves both the human world and the Digital World. The relationship that develops between the protagonist and their partner Digimon serves as the story's emotional core, and by the time the end credits are shown, it reaches a truly satisfying conclusion, even though the opening sections take some time to become engaging. The overall tone is slower and more melancholic than those who enjoy Cyber Sleuth would probably expect, but it justifies this change.

Combat and Systems

It is in the turn-based combat that Time Stranger really excels. The main gameplay loop involves battling, scanning and having hundreds of Digimon (a total of over 450) evolve, and the Digivolution system is deep enough to keep players interested for dozens of hours without it becoming repetitive. To deal with long-standing problems in the series, various quality-of-life features have been introduced, such as fast travel and the ability for players to digivolve their partners directly from the Digivice menu rather than having to go back to a home base each time. The Convert feature, which is the game's method of catching monsters, is a satisfying way of continually expanding the roster.

Presentation

With regard to PCs, the game provides a good variety of graphical and keyboard customisation options, even though it does not feature modern upscaling technology, which is a significant absence given that it is a title coming out in 2025. This game is the first main entry in the series to have full English voice acting, and the performances are good, even if not all scenes are dubbed (the Japanese audio is used to fill in the gaps, with subtitles available in all cases). The sound design as a whole is a standout feature, featuring sharp hit effects and a surprisingly memorable soundtrack for each area, along with the possibility of customising the audio experience.

The Verdict

Time Stranger does have some flaws. A number of critics have pointed out that the pacing is a bit slow at the beginning, and the story follows well-worn paths typical of the genre without really bringing anything new to it. Nevertheless, the great ambition on show, together with the franchise's most refined combat and evolution systems yet, means that it is a straightforward recommendation for both long-time fans and those who are new to the series. Basically all the critics have come to the same conclusion: this is the Digimon game that the series has been working towards for ten years, and the wait has been worth it.