Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition might, at first glance, come off as a Pokémon copycat but don't be fooled. This game has a lot to offer on its own. It meshes the real world and digital worlds together all while providing its own unique creature capture system.

Despite a somewhat repetitive level design and an online mode that can be improved, this compilation of the two most recent turn-based role-playing games of the Digimon franchise is an essential experience for those who want to enjoy an interesting plot, a classic but deep combat system and an excellent artistic section created by Suzuhito Yasuda.

All in all, it’s hard to argue against this collection, even with those small technical issues. For less than a full-priced game you are getting not one, but two great and substantial RPGs. Cyber Sleuth is easily among the best Digimon games and stories, while Hacker’s Memory might have its downsides compared to the base game but still is an good game on its own. If you ever enjoyed Digimon but haven’t played either of these games, then this is the way to experience modern Digimon at its best. Even those who haven’t heard of Digimon can have a good time since they’re great RPGs, and those who already played them can even go back to the original Cyber Sleuth and enjoy its improvements taken from Hacker’s Memory. If the future of Digimon games takes notes from this series, then I’m excited to see them evolve even further.

Two excellent monster-taming games with something for almost every playstyle. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 70]

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition is easily the best way to experience these games. While there isn’t a ton in the way of additional content, these are already some pretty hefty games that you could easily clock fifty or so hours in each. There are a few nice quality of life changes as well such as being able to use Digimon previously only found in Hacker’s Memory, but these were honestly such solid games to begin with that I don’t really think there was much you could do to improve on them. The price is just right too, and getting two excellent RPGs for the price is never a bad thing. If you’re even slightly interested in this type of game, you’ll likely enjoy it as much as I did, despite the few shortcomings it has.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition is one of the best values that a JRPG fan can get on the Nintendo Switch. The games are fun if not particularly special, but they scratch the "got to catch 'em all" itch. They're marred by some issues, like inconsistent difficulty and a dodgy translation, but nothing ruins the experience. If you're a Digimon fan or just RPG faithful looking for something new to try, it's worth giving Cyber Sleuth a shot.

The writing and gameplay are both quite enjoyable, though I can’t shake the feeling that they both kind of seem like almost-as-good Shin Megami Tensei games that are a little more accessible and have a hint of Pokémon. If that sounds good to you, I recommend the collection wholeheartedly. If not, well, there you go.

Cyber Sleuth is worth giving a try for die-hard JRPG fans or those that have wanted to give the genre a shot but found early game tutorials too overbearing. It's a little bit of Persona mixed with a whole lot of Pokemon, and it offers something for fans of both of those franchises. It may have a story that's a little difficult to follow at times, but it more than makes up for it with quite a bit of charm. Players will have to get passed the oddities of Digimon's world, but doing so should prove to be a pretty rewarding experience.

Both Cyber Sleuth games provide solid RPGs that will appeal to both longtime Digimon fans and newcomers alike.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition is a content-packed RPG with plenty to see and do. Its evolution system feels wholly unique when compared to another monster-breeding game series you might find on Nintendo hardware, and while the grind may be too much for some, it’s comfortably one of the best creature-catchers on the Switch – although Pokémon still holds the crown, of course.