Digimon World: Next Order has brought the Digimon World series back to life as a fantastic introduction to the franchise. The Digimon RPG game was released on Nintendo Switch and PC 7 years after the original release, gifting fans and players the grand experience on more platforms. The game maintains its beautiful environments, and immersive gameplay, plus provides a beginner mode that helps introduce new gamers to the Digimon Gaming franchise. Here is our full analysis of the game from the Digimon franchise available on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Digimon World: Next Order was originally released for PlayStation 4 in 2016 and was ported to Nintendo Switch and PC. The Digimon game franchise previously ported Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker’s Memory as a complete edition release. The Digimon World franchise includes various games on platforms such as the PlayStation consoles and Nintendo DS, but only Digimon World Next Order is a sequel to the original Digimon World video game with the same mechanics used.
Digimon World: Next Order Provides Digital Adventure to All
The return of the Digimon World franchise has been blessing fans on PC and Nintendo Switch as Digimon World: Next Order becomes available outside of the initial PlayStation platform. The game captures the true essence of a Digimon Adventure as the anime series featuring the same circumstances, while also providing the mechanics featured in the first released cult-classic title. While fundamentally the same as the original release, the ported game does include a new feature that finally acts as an introduction to the games of the franchise.
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New Game Mode
The beginner game mode added is an easier mode for players to dive into this Digimon Adventure. The most noticeable difference is the increased walking speed, allowing players to travel without as much in-game time passing. This newly added mode allows new players to experience the Digital Adventure without having to be badly scorned by the challenging aspects of the game, which was the main issue with the original Digimon World game.
The beginner mode allows a player to navigate faster than before, while also increasing the amount of experience and money received. This allows a player to progress easier and faster, while also allowing a better starter experience for fans unfamiliar with the Digimon World series. The difficulty settings can be changed at any time if desired, which allows a player to adjust if it is too easy or having a hard time with a higher mode. This may differ depending on the level of preparation and experience a player has but this is a clear difference in the level of gameplay.
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This new Beginner Mode has finally granted fans an age-old question regarding the best Digimon Game to start with for new players, and finally, it appears that Digimon World: Next Order meets the criteria.
Simple Yet Disorientating Gameplay
The game is centered around the life cycles of your two Digimon Partners, which allows a player to obtain all sorts of Digimon due to the rebirth feature in the game. There is a fair amount to learn about that and it can catch a player off guard if not well-informed, as Digimon will Digivolve based on the stats they receive from training. The game starts well as you gradually grasp the necessary steps that a player needs to take, with tutorials included for new players that include combat, training, and learning important features.
Training is a big part of the game as it can lead to various evolutions, which at first could be anything and out of your control. The most disorienting essence of this game is the level system as fight success should be correlated between the Tamer level and the enemy Digimon level. Confusing a level could mean facing a lower-stage Digimon and losing due to the difference in stats, which can be both frustrating and curious. This is where the life cycle mechanic is crucial as stats are boosted for every life cycle, with Tamer skills making a big difference.
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Story and Locations
Digimon World: Next Order instantly draws in players with the mystery of the Machinedramon and gives a feeling of accomplishment as you build up the town. Recruiting the Digimon that had left Jijimon has been a fantastic focus for the start of the game and rewards with various features to help train and evolve your Digimon. The other tamers in the game added a lot to the story and gave it a feeling of interactivity, especially with Mameo from Digimon World as a special addition for fans of the original game.
The game has many wonderous scenes and locations from the Logic Volcano to the MOD Cape. However, no location has been more breathtaking than the first-time fans enter the Nigh Plains’ Vast Plateau, which creates such excitement in combination with daytime music. The locations in Ohguino Wastelands also provide fantastic scenes to explore, with the castle and industrial-themed areas. It can be easy to get lost as you search for the path needed for progression, but there are many great locations to check and explore.
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Variety of Digimon
The various Eggs in the game and possible evolutions have allowed a lot of fantastic Digimon to be added to the roster of the game. There are some low-stage Digimon with very high requirements, but this is due to them being high-powered Digimon that would completely wipe out foes at the beginning of the game. There are 10 eggs that players can select including 7 known from the Digimon Adventures series and 3 known from the Digimon Tamers series, which each have their branches of Digimon after the in-training stage.
From Agumon to Shoutmon, there are many iconic Digimon from various anime fans will know, with specific Digimon found in the evolution of other in-training monsters. The ability to rule out specific evolutions with the Digivolution Dojo is a fantastic feature but the random evolutions were a fun surprise at the beginning of the game. Training Digimon to fight against foes is tricky at first but stats gradually increase from winning fights along with enhancements to training from unlocking tamer skills and upgrading facilities. It’s easy to think that only training at the gym will grant the increased stats needed, but it is important to know that fighting regularly helps add more stats without costing a day of in-game time.
Issues and Missed Opportunities for More
One major issue for PC players is the integration of the keyboard controls since the game tutorial was created with a console controller in mind. It was difficult to play the game, to begin with as controls for left and right Digimon weren’t clear. It took some time and tinkering to figure out the correct buttons, but the situation wasn’t ideal when attempting to take action during a fight, where time is of the essence. A dual analog stick console controller is ideally the best way to play the game, due to the menu system seen for selecting attacks.
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There are many Digimon in this release for Digimon World: Next Order but this port could have provided a chance to add more Digimon, including recent additions to the franchise. It would have made a huge difference if new eggs and new Digimon were added to the game, even if it was just one for the Gammamon line featured in Digimon Ghost Game. New locations and stories linked to new roster additions would have been a blessing, especially with the spectacular environments the game already has.
Digimon World: Next Order is the complete Digimon Adventure package that includes a fantastic challenge and amazing scenery. Certain levels are difficult to pass and there are a lot of gameplay aspects to consider. However, the game does provide an excellent experience for fans of the franchise and a new mode to introduce the Digital World to new players, meaning Digimon World: Next Order is worth the rating of 9 out of 10.
Digimon World: Next Order is available on Steam® (PC) and Nintendo Switch™,, with the original release still available on the store for PlayStation 4.
About Digimon World: Next Order
Release Date: 22 February 2023 | 17 March 2016 (Original Release)
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: B. B Studio
Platforms: Steam® (PC), Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation 4
Genre: RPG
Rating: 7+
What do you think of Digimon World: Next Order? Do you think this game is the perfect introduction to the Digimon Gaming Franchise? What Digimon and DLC do you wish were added to the RPG? Let us know on social media and keep following The Illuminerdi for more reviews.
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