Digimon Survivehas received a lot of attention for its surprisingly mature story, but the title’s lore implications are equally compelling. Instead of whisking its teenage protagonists away to the Digital World,Digimon Survivewill take them to an entirely new realm. This creates a lot of opportunity to explore new ideas and environments, which could ultimately pave the way for future games in the series.
There are quite a few similarities betweenDigimon Surviveand theDigimon Adventureanime series, but the change in setting will allow for a more mysterious tone.Digimonfans have already encountered dozens of iterations of the Digital World, so they already know what to expect from that location. Players will have less information to draw from when making difficult decisions throughoutDigimon Survive, which will make it much more difficult to achieve the “best” endings.
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Digimon: Not-So-Digital Monsters
InpreviousDigimonentries, the titular creatures have been portrayed as programs and viruses that were spontaneously created by computers. Digimon are typically thought of as collections of data rather than living, breathing organisms.Digimon Survivewill leave that identity behind, instead portraying the monsters as ancient spirits that have been around for millennia. Humans are able to perceive Digimon through the use of digital devices, but are no longer thought to be responsible for their creation.
TheDigimon who appear inSurvivewill be explored through the lens of Japanese folklore, which immediately raises the stakes. Players will be exploring a realm inhabited by spirits, rather than a computer’s innards. A tech whiz likeDigimon Adventure’s Izzy wouldn’t be able to save the day by pounding the keyboard, and that proves how much of a change this is. Instead, the teens inDigimon Survivewill need to navigate a world that isn’t meant for mortals.
Digimon Survive Isn’t A Monster Collector
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuthfeatured over 300 Digimon, all of which could be collected by players. This system reinforced the idea that the Digital World could be understood and controlled by humans, which ultimately made it far less scary. Most problems could be solved by grinding experience and piecing together a optimized team of Digimon.
Theworld ofDigimon Surviveis much more hostile, making it far less conducive to building a perfectly balanced lineup. Only 100 Digimon will appear in the game and it’s unclear how many will ultimately be playable. Time is a limited resource, so players will need to choose between training their Digimon and building bonds with their fellow party members. An optimized Digivolution path might be a flashy reward, but could come at the cost of another character’s life, speculatively based on what’s been revealed so far.
The more dangerous setting allowsDigimon Surviveto eschew a trope that has plagued countless JRPGs. Instead of giving players endless time to grind experience or check off side quests,Digimon Survivemakes every moment count. The change in structure challenges the very idea of what aDigimongame can be, which might lead to even more experimentation in the future.Digimonhas evolved alongside its audience for decades, butSurvivemight be the franchise’s boldest entry yet. By continuing to defy expectations,Digimonhas the potential to keep fans engaged for years to come.
Digimon Surviveis currently in development for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
