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There are certain things that will always feel comforting. Watching snow fall from inside a warm room. A cat choosing your lap to make kitty biscuits on. An unfamiliar game that includes familiar mechanics. I’ve not played much in the way of the Digimon series, but that didn’t stop me from tearing through the demo for Digimon Stories: Time Stranger when I played it at PAX West. Turns out, a lifetime of playing every RPG that I could get my hands on has paid off.

Part of the perks of being a games journalist is that, on occasion, I get to try out games early. While at PAX West, I got to spend about three hours playing Digimon Story: Time Stranger, surrounded by other fans and journalists. This included the opening dungeon tutorial and the following dungeon, along with a quest that took place a little later in the game, so I could play with some of the more powerful Digimon and complex mechanics the game has to offer. 

Admittedly, my experience with Digimon is limited to a handful of games – primarily some of the (excellent) visual novels that have spun off from the series. And I felt that lack of knowledge in the opening moments, when terms and information were thrown at me fast and thick. There is a sense that I’ve been dropped in the middle of a story, particularly when kaiju-sized Digimon start rampaging through Tokyo, but one thing that didn’t feel overwhelming was the combat system, which was as familiar as a comfortable pair of slippers.

Even without much experience with the series, I managed to get through the demo provided in half the time that Bandai Namco expected, which is less a criticism about the game and more a testament to how easy it is to wrap your head around these mechanics. You send one of several Digimon out against the enemy (at one point, I had four under my command, plus a few guest Digimon that acted of their own accord), each with their own abilities and damage types. Matching damage types against enemy weaknesses is the key to dispatching enemies quickly.

Thankfully, the interface tells you outright how effective an attack will be against a specific enemy once you’ve given it a go, so you don’t need to memorize complicated damage type charts. Effects range from dealing 50% damage up to 300% damage, which is all given to you when you highlight an enemy. 

Combat is simplified, but that isn’t to say that the game is simple. Even with my limited time with the game, I could see the depth involved in evolving your Digimon. How you interact with them and which skills you develop in them will determine which evolutions are available to each Digimon, with the possibility to de-evolve them if you want to try for something different next time. Completionists will find an almost infinite amount of gameplay here if they want to try to unlock every Digimon in the game.

If you’re looking for an RPG that is going to deliver an unexpected twist on turn-based combat, Digimon Story: Time Stranger is probably not going to deliver that for you. However, RPGs are your jam, and you want to play through a story that delivers massive, city-shattering set pieces, the demo I played certainly seemed to deliver that. Fans who have been waiting almost eight years for a sequel to Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory have a solid and fun RPG to look forward to.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is out on October 3, 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

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