Featured Image Credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
Topics: Steam
Steam has always been a great storefront when it comes to offering demos that allow players to try before they buy. Long gone are the days of getting a demo disc with your favourite magazine, and now there are plenty of options at your fingertips.
One of the newest available is an absolute dream for 90s kids who grew up in the era of Pokémon competitors. If you did, you'll remember how big Digimon was when it came along in 1997 and, though it never managed to become the biggest Japanese export, it maintains a huge and loyal following the world over.
Now, a new Digimon game is set to release and you can play the demo right now on Steam. Digimon Story Time Stranger is a new RPG that, in the developer's own words, "explores the deep bond between humans and Digimon in an epic story that unravels the mystery of the world’s collapse."
Set in Tokyo, the story follows an agent of a secret organisation who encounters a mysterious unknown creature shortly before the city is levelled by a huge explosion. Following that, they wake up eight years in the past and that's where the player takes over to uncover what happened and hopefully stop it before it happens again.
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The most dynamic feature of the gameplay is the regularity with which you'll be swapping between the normal and digital worlds, with the latter being where the titular Digimon live.
Combat is turn-based, though battles are dynamic and the developer has leaned heavily into encouraging player strategy.
The demo is available to download now for free, and that will take you through the opening chapter of the story, with most of the major mechanics included within.
There are plenty of reviews from players who have jumped in so far and it currently sits on Very Positive overall.
"Honestly, everything I was hoping for. The game runs so smooth and they explain all the mechanics so well," one comment reads.
"They improved on the previous Digimon Story game in every single way imaginable - more fluid flow to gameplay in general, combat balance, high quality cutscenes and smooth transitions, voice acting in English instead only in Japanese (even for all the digimon!)," another added. "You can skip conversations and cutscenes as well as put it on auto-advance, more available Digimon, quick-combat style resolution for open world, an enormous amount of QoL features such as being able to digivolve and convert anywhere instead in the lab only, and so so sooo much more!"
There are hundreds more positive players in the review section, with the full game set to release on 2 October, so you won't have long to wait if you like the sample.