Digimon World: Next Order
- February 21, 2023
- HYDE, Inc.
- 23h median play time
Get on SteamIn Digimon World: Next Order, players become a Tamer and embark on a journey to save the Digital World alongside two Digimon partners. Features include real-time battles, Digimon evolution, and the ability to build and manage your own DigiFarm. The game boasts a vast open world with various environments and landscapes to explore.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- Captures the essence of the original Digimon World game while introducing new elements.
- Engaging gameplay loop focused on raising and nurturing Digimon, with a large roster of over 200 Digimon.
- Improvements in mechanics, such as revealing digivolution requirements and the addition of a tamer skill system.
- Grindy gameplay with a significant amount of time spent on training and resource gathering.
- Poorly designed PC port with limited resolution options and controls primarily optimized for consoles.
- The story is weak and often feels like a series of fetch quests, disrupting the pacing of the game.
- story290 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "Digimon World: Next Order" is generally viewed as simplistic and somewhat underwhelming, often described as a standard "save the world" narrative that lacks depth and engaging character development. While some players appreciate the nostalgic elements and the progression tied to recruiting Digimon, many express frustration with the pacing, as story advancement is frequently interrupted by mandatory side quests and grinding. Overall, the narrative serves its purpose but is not the main draw of the game, with many recommending other titles in the Digimon franchise for a more compelling story experience.
“The game has an interesting story that I loved, a good battle system, cool Digimon that are available, and is overall the best Digimon game out there.”
“With its captivating story, extensive Digimon roster, and perfectly timed anime moments, this game is a love letter to all things Digimon.”
“The story is actually a direct sequel to the PS1 game too.”
“The story development isn't great; I wish there was an option to go into the digital world and be in the real world either with your Digimon or with them in their digivices.”
“The story is so short and lackluster that it may as well not be there at all.”
“The narrative is trash, the characters are trash, the graphics are trash, there is no combat, and there is no control of Digivolution until a certain point in the 'story' (I use that term lightly) which I never made it to because I'm so bored and confused that I have no drive to get there.”
- gameplay233 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Digimon World: Next Order" is heavily rooted in the mechanics of the original PS1 game, offering a nostalgic experience for fans while introducing new features and quality-of-life improvements. Players engage in a unique blend of virtual pet management and RPG elements, requiring them to care for their Digimon's needs, train them, and navigate a grinding progression system that can feel repetitive. While the mechanics may initially seem daunting and the gameplay can be tedious, many players find satisfaction in mastering the systems and enjoy the depth of the combat and evolution mechanics.
“The gameplay is a personal favorite of mine, though I’m a bit biased.”
“The mechanics are easy to understand, and the controls are responsive and intuitive.”
“The gameplay revolves around recruiting digimon while raising and training your digimon through battles and being responsible for managing their needs, including feeding, grooming, disciplining, exercising, and ultimately their happiness.”
“The game has a lot of fun aspects, but it also has a lot of frustrating gameplay features that make it incredibly tedious.”
“It's a game using the face of Digimon as a means to sell itself; the gameplay is rough and everything feels unpolished. Under no circumstances should you buy this at full price.”
“The mechanics and intricacies of raising Digimon might feel daunting at first, and the lack of clear tutorials or explanations can be frustrating.”
- grinding164 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- -1 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as very grindy, with many players noting that grinding is a core aspect of the experience, often leading to tedious gameplay. While some find the grinding enjoyable and rewarding, especially for fans of the Digimon franchise, others criticize it for being excessively time-consuming and repetitive, particularly in the early stages. Players recommend selecting easier difficulty settings to reduce the grind, but acknowledge that significant grinding is still required to progress through the story and develop their Digimon.
“No tedious, very low percentage encounter recruits.”
“The grinding feels rewarding and keeps me engaged.”
“I love how the grind leads to meaningful progress in the game.”
“The game is incredibly imbalanced where it seems designed to make grinding the only option, and is so poorly communicated that its own methods to present more information to the player only serve to mislead them about the difficulty of the content.”
“You will be spending many hours grinding, unless you want to play on beginner mode which does make the game significantly easier and less grindy.”
“The excessive amount of grinding is what's holding back an otherwise good game.”
- graphics94 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they feel outdated and reminiscent of older gaming eras, particularly due to its origins as a PS Vita title. While some appreciate the charm and nostalgia of the visuals, others criticize the lack of detail and polish, describing them as subpar compared to contemporary standards. Overall, the graphics are seen as serviceable but leave much to be desired, especially for a game released in 2016.
“The graphics are very nice, the camera is excellent.”
“With its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay mechanics, and heartfelt storytelling, it stands as a shining example of how to adapt a beloved series into an exceptional gaming experience.”
“Good graphics and detail, also bring back memories when I play Digimon World on PS1.”
“The graphics are simply put, this game is ugly; the world map is devoid of detail and many areas are just flat textures, with a severe lack of any forethought in areas.”
“Graphics are... well, this game was originally released in 2016 for a handheld console and they never bothered improving anything for the ports to other devices.”
“Changes in the art style were something to be 100% expected; however, it seemed like they used an engine meant for PS2 games and somehow ended up with graphics that are worse than the PS1 game, where the PS1 game had a unique art style in using pixel art that gave it a certain charm.”
- music56 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the nostalgic remixes of classic tracks from the original Digimon World, while others find the new compositions less memorable and sometimes jarring. Some users highlighted the catchy and immersive nature of the soundtrack, which enhances the gameplay experience, though repetitive tracks and unbalanced audio levels were noted as drawbacks. Overall, the music evokes nostalgia for long-time fans but lacks the charm and atmospheric depth of the original game.
“The music is surprisingly top-notch and catchy, especially the ambient music for the different areas, and adds a lot of personality to them.”
“One of the most endearing aspects of 'Digimon World: Next Order' is its music, which masterfully transports you back to the anime series.”
“The soundtrack perfectly blends energetic battle themes with more melodic and atmospheric tracks that set the mood for exploration.”
“Graphics feel kind of old, and the music is... forgettable for the most part.”
“Making things worse for the starting areas is the music, which sounds like it belongs in the main menu where you only have to listen to it for one second max. It doesn't fit the atmosphere at all and becomes jarring really quickly.”
“As briefly mentioned, there is no sense of adventure or mystery in this game and even the soundtrack was designed to remove any sense of adventure by blaring in your ears the entire time leaving no room for contrast in the battle music, let alone the laid-back and often mysterious tracks that instilled feelings of investment throughout the original, which was so well received and still loved.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance and quick loading times, others experience significant performance issues. The game runs well on the Steam Deck and high-end PCs, but there are concerns about graphics quality and the lack of mouse and keyboard control prompts. Despite these drawbacks, many players find the performance satisfactory for an enjoyable experience.
“Well optimized loading screens literally take no time at all and the 'running' is a good addition.”
“With no changes needed to enjoy the game fully, this is also a best on deck game, though if you decide to go into settings, you can expand the screen to the entire deck and up some graphics quality without losing performance or battery!”
“I really did, but the performance was horrible.”
“But what about performance?”
“The player will have a great experience with this game when it comes to performance.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the atmosphere in the game has received mixed reviews. While some players appreciate the expansive and visually charming world reminiscent of the original, others criticize the jarring music and a loss of the immersive feeling that characterized earlier titles. The shift to an "anime atmosphere" has also been polarizing, detracting from the experience for some players.
“The original game certainly had an atmosphere that has greatly struck a chord with me for over twenty years now, along with the feeling of exploring a large and mysterious world.”
“The world is huge, even bigger than on PS1, and the areas actually are memorable and have charm visually and in terms of atmosphere, just like in the original game.”
“The soundtrack perfectly blends energetic battle themes with more melodic and atmospheric tracks that set the mood for exploration.”
“The dev really reset the sound during building change in the same district, which ruins the really chill atmosphere if you try to roam around in that district.”
“I'm not a huge fan of this 'anime atmosphere.' It annoyed me in Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, and it's just as irritating here.”
“There's also a loss of atmosphere between these two games.”
- stability9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report minor glitches and bugs typical of Unity games, most agree that these issues are not game-breaking and do not significantly detract from the experience. Many users appreciate the smooth frame rates and quick loading times, indicating that the game runs well overall, especially for those who enjoy optimizing gameplay. However, a few reviews caution potential players about the presence of bugs, suggesting a cautious approach for those sensitive to technical issues.
“The game runs great and is perfect for anyone who likes to meticulously optimize pets for maximum power.”
“The game is made in Unity and you can tell, it's a bit buggy sometimes (thankfully never game-breaking) and there's nothing impressive graphics or animation-wise here.”
“This game is the most buggy mess I have ever played.”
“Stay away from this buggy mess!”
- replayability7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The replayability of the game is mixed among users; some appreciate the ability to raise different digimon for varied experiences, while others find it limited, citing fewer incentives to continue after completing the main storyline. Although some players enjoyed the surprise factor and the potential for cycling through generations, many feel it lacks the replay value of its predecessor. Overall, the presence of online guides can enhance the experience in subsequent playthroughs.
“It's great, and even has replayability since you can start over again just raising different digis throughout the main story for a somewhat different experience with different techs (yes, techs really do matter).”
“Really replayable.”
“The replayability is very low, so I guess at most I would continue to play and try to get more and more of the forms by cycling the generations, but I did get quite a bit of fun from this and I really didn't expect much initially, so it ended up being a good surprise.”
“Limited replay value: some fans felt that Digimon World: Next Order lacked the replay value of the original game, with fewer incentives to continue playing once the main storyline had been completed.”
“Finding out that internet guides exist in the second playthrough definitely made this game more playable.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players find it deeply engaging with heartfelt storytelling and impactful gameplay moments that evoke nostalgia and attachment to characters, others criticize it for lacking depth and failing to deliver a compelling narrative. The emotional highs and lows experienced during battles and character interactions resonate strongly with fans, but the overall presentation and pricing have left some feeling disappointed.
“There's this way this game tears at my emotional seams when my partners get hit in combat, train hard, lose a battle, and eventually die.”
“With its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay mechanics, and heartfelt storytelling, it stands as a shining example of how to adapt a beloved series into an exceptional gaming experience.”
“There are so many emotional cues not only in the story but in just normal gameplay.”
“As a huge Digimon fan, honestly this game kind of sucks. It's just boring, really ugly graphically, has a dull story, and is overpriced for this version.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its nostalgic charm, reminiscent of PS2 titles, and is enhanced by amusing scenarios, such as the experience of working as a retail employee. However, some players express disappointment over the lack of cosmetic customization options, which could have added to the comedic elements.
“The funny thing is that it looks, plays, and feels just like something from the PS2.”
“I want to work as a retail employee again; it was funny!”
“I wish there was cosmetic customization like in re:digitize; I want to put a funny hat on my Craniamon.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development has been criticized for its unappealing and uninspired design choices, particularly noting the male protagonist's exaggerated physical features, which detract from the overall engagement with the character.
“The character design is quite unappealing and lacks creativity.”
“The human characters look ugly and poorly designed.”
“There is a noticeable lack of effort in the character development and aesthetics.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy employed by Bandai Noco has been criticized for relying on low-quality cash grabs, reflecting a troubling trend in their approach to generating revenue.
“A continuing embarrassing trend of cheap, low-quality cash grabs by Bandai Namco.”
“The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should to enjoy the game.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to fully experience the game without spending extra money.”
