Digimon World: Next Order

Being extremely close to the original concept, which at least in Japan was designed for the unfortunate PlayStation Vita, the hybrid nature of Nintendo Switch has returned to the product a portability that keeps boredom away and is well suited to its Pet Simulator mechanics. Among other things, since the "normal" difficulty proposed by the original version was unbalanced, in this round the developer B.B. Studio has introduced a new level of challenge that winks at anyone who is not particularly accustomed to the repetitive mechanics of the World series. If we add to this the possibility of running, overall Digimon World: Next Order appears more enjoyable than ever. Too bad only for Bandai Namco's decision, in our opinion unjustifiable, to offer the title for 60 euros: a truly exaggerated admission ticket for a product that has already been circulating since 2016 and which from a graphic point of view has not received the slightest tweak .

Digimon World: Next Order isn't for everyone, and it might even disappoint Digimon fans hoping for another Cyber Sleuth, but it delivers for Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck owners who wanted a simulation RPG to play on the go. The asking price is a bit too high though for a re-release like this.

Digimon World Next Order feels and plays fantastically on the Nintendo Switch. But unfortunately, it relies on you being familiar with its established gameplay mechanics, which can be daunting for newcomers. Despite the newly added Beginner Mode and Dash features, I feel like this iteration of the digital world is targeted toward longtime fans or new ones who have a lot of time to learn its many nuances. Still, the portability of the Switch makes this perfect for western gamers raising Digimon on the go.

Dedicated to fans of the original World, Next Order takes the original game and builds upon it with an impressive array of content. The sluggish and basic grinding, mediocre combat, and an "open world" with no fast means of travel hurts the experience overall. Still, it grabs the Digimon fan's heart, keeping us stuck in the Digital World despite its flaws, something that gains new strength by settling better on handheld consoles.

Digimon World: Next Order is very much a Marmite game, you’re either going to love it or hate it. In my case, I had a wonderful time, love digivolving my cute lil crew, and will definitely replay it for a third or fourth time at some point.

The game feels more like a nostalgic tribute to the original that came out on PSOne and does barely anything to make its formula feel fresher and more enjoyable.

As I said up top, I know what I like in my monster training games (which is to say, Pokémon and imitators like Nexomon and Coromon), and what I don’t. And, unfortunately, Digimon Next: World Order – with its endless focus on grinding and training and, uh, pooping – is definitely in the category of what I don’t like.

Digimon World: Next Order is grindy, unintuitive and just plain dull, and no amount of exciting evolutions will change that.

I can’t recommend Digimon World: Next Order and honestly I have begun to question why I liked it as a kid. I am sure it had to do with the later cool evolutions that happen but there are better games and even anime’s that showcase this better than having suffered through this game. While seeing some of the old faces brought back some nostalgia in the end it was just that, and the game was just a chore to play… literally.