DIGIMON STORY: CYBERSLEUTH – HACKER’S MEMORY
You ain’t gotta catch this one
Enjoyed the first Cybersleuth? Good news – this is more of the same! Literally. As in, an enormous amount of assets have been recycled here, including entire locations. The plot is all-new, and there are close to a hundred new monsters on top of the ones from the last game, but despite the impressive length of the story, it’s difficult to argue against the idea that this should have been DLC.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to outright despise the game. It’s a well-designed JRPG wearing Digimon pants. This means predictable issues (tired skits about boys chasing girls, no dubbed option for those who prefer it), but also certain things done better than some of its peers (turn-based combat1 that’s very user-friendly, and a surprisingly sharp and engaging writing style).
The plot, which gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘life hack’, has a lot of potential (though even that is a little too close to the first game). This is squandered, as almost everything is ultimately solved by running around bland dungeons engaging in random battles until you face off against the latest baddie. The new ‘domination battles’, a sort of cross between a board game and the usual combat, are neat… but underused.
Digivolving2 your Digimon is essential to success, and this is pleasingly simple. Level them up, and pick the form you wish them to take. Easy! Despite the omnipresent accessibility, though, this isn’t a game for anybody but existing fans of Digimon or the previous adventure. It hasn’t evolved enough to deal a critical hit to the competition. Luke Kemp