Against all odds, the Digimon franchise has managed to remain relevant, even two decades after it first debuted. While this wouldn't be overly impressive for most franchises, Digimon originally aired just one year after Pokemon, and has somehow managed to survive right alongside it for the last 25 years. A lot of Digimon's successes have revolved around the series' range of video games, with Digimon Survive being the most recent title in a surprisingly long history.
Released just a few weeks ago, Digimon Survive is the most recent Digimon video game, though it's far from being the series' first. With the franchise first debuting in 1997, it didn't take too long before video game adaptations would start hitting store shelves, with Digimon World being the first big tie-in title. Since then, there have been several Digimon video game series, each forming their own subfranchise to fill a certain niche, and the case for Digimon Survive to form a new subfranchise is strong.
Digimon World and Story Offer Distinct Experiences
When it comes to Digimon's long 20-year history in the video game industry, there are two main series that stick out in fans' minds: Digimon World and Digimon Story. While both Digimon World and Digimon Story share some similar mechanics, most of which take direct inspiration from Pokemon, both have their fair share of unique elements and mechanics that make each worthwhile in their own right.
Digimon World, as a series, has often fallen into the open-world RPG category, where players take on the role of a Digimon Tamer as they explore the Digital World and face off against a variety of threats. The Digimon World series tends to put an emphasis on training over anything else. Players will often be raising their Digimon partner through six stages of development, feeding them, and caring for them at every turn. While the player can still use their Digimon partner to battle, the focus of the game is on training the monster.
Digimon Story, on the other hand, takes a few more direct cues from Pokemon. As opposed to Digimon World's real-time battles, Digimon Story opts to use a turn-based combat system, and rather than having just one Digimon partner, players can use a party of multiple Digimon at once. The Digimon Story subfranchise also tends to be a little more story-driven than Digimon World. So, while both Digimon series do share some similarities, they each fill out their own niche and provide differing experiences that appeal to different fans.
Digimon Survive Fits Another Niche
The recently released Digimon Survive fits an entirely new niche for the Digimon franchise. Although Digimon Survive does have turn-based battles, that makes up a small percentage of the game's runtime. Instead, Digimon Survive is actually primarily a visual novel. While this approach was a risky one, for some Digimon fans, it seems to have paid off.
While Digimon Story is certainly a more narrative-focused series, Digimon Survive's visual novel approach allows the story to take the spotlight and remain in it. Character relationships, world-building, and the intertwining plot threads are all kept at the heart of Digimon Survive, and for die-hard fans of the series, this approach feels like a rewarding one, with a story payoff that feels genuinely satisfying. The visual novel approach may not be for everyone, but Digimon Survive's tight storytelling is reason enough for the game to become the start of a brand-new Digimon subfranchise.
Digimon Survive is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.