Digimon Survive Reviews
Being a visual novel, Digimon Survive isn’t for everyone. For those with the patience for it though, we can’t help but recommend it. Whether you’re a fan of the Digimon franchise or not, there’s a thoroughly intriguing story here, backed up with attractive visuals, an enjoyable soundtrack, and some tense battles. This may be a departure for the series, but it’s paid off.
Digimon Survive took me by surprise and soon became one of my favorite games this year. Its daring blend of visual novel and turn-based battle snippets may not be perfect, but it represents a thought-provoking new look at one of the most captivating franchises of the 1990s. Its charismatic cast and the constant feeling of melancholy and discomfort that hangs over this universe make this an adventure capable of keeping the player for hours in front of the console, always waiting for the next events. At its heart, it's a story about the power of friendship, as Digimon has always been. However, the mature approach makes Survive surprising and unmissable. As a result, on the anime's 25th anniversary, we're the ones who get the gift.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Digimon Survive excels in what's most important in a game of its genre by giving the player a deep and engaging storyline full of unexpected twists. You can almost compare this visual novel to a new chapter of the animated series thanks to a great general design and a well done characterization of its protagonists, both humans and Digimon. This is a game with a strong personality but an average combat system that sometimes ends up damaging the narration's rhythm. Despite this, Digimon Survive is undoubtedly a must have for any fan of the franchise.
Review in Italian | Read full review
For a game that places so much weight on its cast and writing , Digimon Survive struggles to engage with poor characterization and weak storytelling.
Digimon Survive played with my slight prejudice and inexperience with the series and fooled me extraordinarily well. Its combat is simple but solid, but it's as a visual novel that manages to carry a story with dense, calculating overtones, turning the experience into an extremely competent project full of new routes of connections and choices to explore.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Digimon Survive is an excellent visual novel with an amazing story, great characters, a captivating tone and an engaging setting. Its only weaknesses are the localization problems and the weak combat system that, despite the pillars for something excellent, is easy and too simple.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Digimon Survive is a talk-heavy game that expects you to spend a lot of time reading, and a little bit of time fighting. That may not be the most enjoyable thing if you just want a Pokémon substitute, but as visual novels go, it's one of the better ones.
Visual novel and tactical RPG, with these words you already know if Digimon Survive is for you or not. The game has one of the best stories of the franchise thanks to its dark and mature tones. It's however counterbalanced by many filler moments, empty dialogues and tacticless battles.
Review in French | Read full review
Digimon Survive was difficult to play, boring for the first half, and mostly just disappointing. The framework for something much more compelling exists underneath the prattle, inconsequential combat, and shallow character development, and you can catch a glimpse at what might have been in some of the story’s better moments. I hope Hyde and Bandai get the opportunity to create another visual-novel-style Digimon game, building on Survive’s foundations to create a lasting and more memorable experience.
Digimon: Survive is one of the adventures of the year and offers the possibility of reliving under the eyes of a child what we once saw as such.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Digimon Survive stumbles with its tactical combat but manages to recover with its compelling visual novel storytelling.
Digimon Survive feels like it was made with every kid who wanted to be a DigiDestined. It’s a darker twist on a fan favorite story. While the story is amazing, it is brought down by okay combat. 10 percent of the gameplay weighs down the other 90 percent.
I enjoyed Digimon Survive as a visual novel and would highly recommend it if that’s all it was. That said, there is some frustration in trying to access all routes, the SRPG combat gets old after a while, and there are a multitude of small issues that do bring the experience down.
If you are a diehard fan of the franchise, then this game will be an enjoyable ride; if you are someone whose not followed it along the way, then it is easy to be disappointed. Ultimately, each person will have to decide on their own if they like Digimon Survive.
With its compelling narrative, gorgeous anime visuals, and multiple endings, Digimon Survive has all the winning traits that will make it a champion among visual novel and Digimon fans alike. Unfortunately, an incredibly simple and tedious turn-based battle system lets it down.
Despite its flaws and hardship, Digimon Survive is an absorbing visual novel. It is a more profound and darker story than generally expected from the Digimon world with captivating characters and storytelling. The exploration and tactical battles provide a break from the immense amount of dialogue, albeit not as fun and the latter feels like a lacklustre last-minute addition. Regardless, Digimon Survive is a great game for fans of the universe.
I applaud Digimon Survive for being a dark, harrowing, and wonderful visual novel, and subverting what I thought a Digimon story could be. While I wish the combat evolved as much as the surrounding story presentation, it’s not enough to deter someone from seeing the narrative through. Don’t expect a tactical masterpiece, but rather a well-made melancholy tale depicting Digimon in a light they haven’t been in before.
Digimon Survive felt like a game that wasn’t supposed to be one in the first place. The glimpses of brilliance being presented in the narrative are tainted by a tactics-based combat system that felt like it belonged to a forgettable mobile game rather than a release that was meant to celebrate 25 years of a long recognizable brand.
All in all, Digimon Survive knows exactly what it’s trying to be and does it well. Unfortunately, this means it’s not a very interesting strategy RPG. If you’re a Digimon fan, you’ll either love or hate it. And if you’re looking for a fun, story-heavy title, I definitely recommend checking it out. But strategy RPG fans may want to find something else with fewer cutscenes.
A unique direction for the Digimon franchise comes with growing pains and flashes of greatness in equal measure.