Visual novel/RPG Digimon Survive had fans of the series intrigued from its announcement. Initially slated for release back in 2019, the game was delayed until 2020, then on to 2021, and was delayed once again to a 2022 release back in July of this year. The game promised much, yet at this point many are just hoping that they will get their hands on the game some time soon.
Developed by new studio Witchcraft, Digimon Survive promises to give fans a novel experience, as the Teen rating suggests. With branching narrative paths that can see the player choose how they form the decisions of their character, and more mature themes than are typically associated with the Digimon franchise, fans were initially excited at the concept of the game. When gameplay was revealed showing the way battles would work in Digimon Survive, and that there would be grid-based tactics similar to the Fire Emblem series, the hype train built once more, only to be derailed by constant delays and a lack of updates.
A recent rating reveal by the ESRB might just indicate that Digimon Survive could be closer than first expected. While an ESRB rating isn't a definitive release date, and the game has already been officially rated in three countries following the last delay announcement. The game has been rated as T for Teen, citing "crude humour, fantasy violence, language and mild blood" as the reasoning behind the rating.
The ESRB rating also gives fans some more detail into what they can expect to see within the game, though for any Digimon fan hoping to see a grounded, mature experience full of adult-themes, preapre to be slightly disappointed. While there is mention of a "bloodstained corpse" that appears in one of the game's cutscenes, on the other hand there is a hefty description of a "Poop Toss" move, which comes with "squishy" sound effects.
Many are hoping that this ESRB rating will mean an end to the delays that have been plaguing the game's release for years. Digimon Survive now has quite the weighted expectations placed upon its shoulders, along with other titles that have been pushed back by years such as The Elder Scrolls VI. While fans haven't waited over a decade for Digimon Survive, many feared that its place in development hell would result in the game being cancelled or delayed inevitably.
Digimon fans are a passionate base of people, often cosplaying as their favourite characters, creating art and getting their hands on any Digimon media that comes out. So long as Digimon Survive releases some information soon, the game can hopefully turn its disappointing delays around.
Digimon Survive is scheduled for release in 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.