Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition Review

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition is available now for the Nintendo Switch digitizing two Digimon adventures into one sleek package so you’ll never run out of digital fun! This collection brings together two previously released Digimon games: Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and its sequel, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory. Between the two games there’s quite a bit of role-playing action, which will definitely run into the triple digit hour mark upon completion of both stories. Thankfully, you can take the adventure with you on the go!

I have to give Bandai Namco some credit here for porting over their monster capturing answer to Pokémon only a few weeks before the latest installment of the franchise’s newest title is set to release. On the surface each appears to be quite similar as they both offer players much of the same things; capturing and battling monsters, traditional turn-based combat, and an animé inspired setting. Regardless, Digimon deserves some time in the monster capturing limelight, if only for a few more weeks.

Both games included in this collection are strictly turn-based JRPGs with loads of random encounter battles, which are mind-numbingly easy with most battles. This includes boss fights, which are usually over in one or two turns with “Auto-Battle” set. So don’t expect too much of a challenge here.

Thankfully, customizing your Digimon team is super easy and super addicting, making the way you steamroll enemies enjoyable if not just for the sake of seeing your newly Digivolved WarGreymon tear a hacker’s team a new digi-hole. Actually that’s where 90% of my time with this collection has been spent – raising the ultimate Digimon party. Even as I write this review I am checking which Digimon I can Digivolve and which ones still need more time on the farm. By the way, every word with “Digi” in front of it is not me trying to be edgy, that’s just how Digimon does stuff.

Early on you’ll gain access to the DigiLab, which contains the DigiFarm and DigiBank (I promise I’m not making this up!). Each facility has its perks available at your disposal. At the DigiFarm you can leave some Digimon to level up or investigate items. I set my Digimon’s training period as much as possible because the game utilizes a real time clock that works even when not playing. So if you set your monsters to train before bed you’ll wake up to some beefy boys in the morning. This concept is so cool for me because it made me want to constantly check up on my Digimon even if I only had a few minutes to play my Switch. Yet another perfect reason for these games to be on a portable system!

The DigiBank is where you’ll sort your party, send Digimon to the DigiFarm, and Digivolve them if possible. Each Digimon can Digivolve into many different creatures and even De-Digivolve to gain better moves and stats, giving every player countless options for which Digimon they want for their party at any given time.

Another aspect of the game is that you don’t actually capture wild Digimon. Each time you encounter a Digimon in the wild you’ll obtain a part of its code. When you come across it enough times you can head back to the DigiLab and create that very Digimon in the DigiBank. It’s a little grindy because it forces the player to encounter a certain Digimon five or so times in the wild just to acquire the entire code. This translates into lots of Digimon battles that are incredibly easy. I didn’t mind this aspect of the game because I was damn near addicted to it, but other players will no doubt feel it as a bit repetitive.

Did I mention there’s a lot of Digimon here?! Well there’s about 300+ Digimon to collect between both games so the collector in you will have a lot to do with this game.

Getting into the story, I mainly played the first game, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, where you play as a (you guessed it) cyber sleuth solving cases in the real world and the digital world alike. In this game characters can log in to a Matrix-like world known as Eden where hackers run amok hacking into other people’s accounts while using Digimon to further their goals.

After gaining the ability to use Digimon from a mysterious hacker you discover that your digital self and real body have become separated giving you cause to action. Shortly after that you’re recruited as an assistant to train in the art of cyber sleuthing by Kyoko Kuremi.

From there you’ll take on missions that range from slightly interesting to downright boring – filler meant to artificially pad the game until a large story mission unlocks. Most missions come down to retreading a familiar dungeon or cityscape in order to locate someone and ask them about something and then fight a Digimon at the end. Expect to be clicking through some dialogue heavy parts, as there’s not too many actual cutscenes, just two characters standing side-by-side talking.

Both games share the same assets with the sequel, Hacker’s Memory, reusing a lot of sets while adding more Digimon to collect. This story revolves around a hacker hacking with Digimon. It was cool that upon finishing both games you have the option to transfer Digimon between the two so you would never lose your special friends.

The real world environments I was able to explore were quite nice to look at, such as replica of real life Shinjuku in Tokyo, which is fairly accurate to the real place. The DigiWorlds however were a little bland in comparison, going for exactly what you would expect the inside of a computer to look like.

This could also be said about the music, which was basically generic EDM set on loop. There is a good amount of Japanese voice acting that helped get me through some of the slow story beats, but it would have been nice to have an option for an English voice track as I know some people would rather listen than read. I was more than a little bummed that the old animé theme song did not play at the opening of the game, but that’s my problem, not yours.

I primarily played Digimon in handheld mode because it just felt right. It’s a game that’s meant for short bursts whether it be to check on your Digimon at the DigiFarm or power through a side mission on your lunch break. It looks fine in this setting with no framerate drops or texture issues either.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition is (in the words of Izzie from the old Digimon animé) prodigious! There’s a lot of gameplay here (many hours spent grinding for rare Digimon) for those looking to sleuth, but the most fun you’ll probably have is raising your Digimon on the DigiFarm. The story might be forgettable, but the memories you make with your digital monsters will last a lifetime. It’s not the most beautiful or best sounding game on the Switch, but fans of the animé will definitely find something to love here.

Tony Matthews

Tony has been gaming ever since he could walk. Pokémon Blue Version helped him learn how to read. His greatest accomplishment is not just having played the entire Kingdom Hearts series but also understanding it.