Digimon World: Next Order

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,292 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • grinding
Digimon World: Next Order Game Cover
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In 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
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,292 reviews
story72 positive mentions
grinding186 negative mentions
  • Captures the nostalgic essence of the original Digimon World game while introducing new features.
  • Engaging gameplay loop focused on raising and nurturing Digimon, with a large roster of over 200 species.
  • Improvements in combat mechanics and the addition of two partners enhance the overall experience.
  • Grindy gameplay with tedious resource management and a lack of clear direction can frustrate players.
  • The story is weak and lacks depth, often feeling like a series of fetch quests.
  • Technical issues, such as bugs and poor PC controls, detract from the overall experience.
  • story356 mentions

    The story of this game is generally viewed as simplistic and formulaic, often described as a standard "save the world" narrative that lacks depth and engaging character development. While some players appreciate the nostalgic connection to previous titles and find enjoyment in the gameplay mechanics, many criticize the story for being short, linear, and filled with tedious side quests that disrupt the main plot progression. Overall, it serves as a backdrop for the creature-raising gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience.

    • “Story: you are a teenager dragged into the digimon world under mysterious circumstances to save the digi-world.”
    • “Going through the main story with the colorful cast of characters is also fun.”
    • “The game also offers a rich, engaging story filled with twists, turns, and surprise appearances.”
    • “It's a very bog standard story that's pretty vapid.”
    • “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, there is no control of digievolution 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.”
  • gameplay308 mentions

    The gameplay of "Digimon World: Next Order" is a nostalgic blend of pet-raising mechanics reminiscent of Tamagotchi, where players must care for their Digimon through feeding, training, and managing their needs. While the battle system has seen improvements from the PS1 version, many players find the overall experience to be grindy and repetitive, with some mechanics feeling unpolished or overly complex. Despite its flaws, fans of the original game and the Digimon franchise may still find enjoyment in the unique gameplay loop and the satisfaction of nurturing and evolving their creatures.

    • “The emphasis on raising and nurturing your digimon partners, coupled with vibrant visuals and engaging combat, makes for an enjoyable and immersive gameplay experience.”
    • “This is the digimon game to play, especially if you're a big fan of the v-pet-esque type gameplay it offers, and it does it very well.”
    • “Fantastically nostalgic for players of the first digimon world, with a very similar gameplay but smoother progression and less arcane digivolution requirements.”
    • “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 combat mechanics are incredibly lame; the whole premise of not being able to control movement is boring, and the idea of needing to grind or one-shot is incredibly tedious.”
  • grinding188 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its excessive grinding, with many players noting that a significant portion of gameplay is spent on repetitive tasks like leveling up, collecting materials, and training Digimon. While some find the grinding satisfying and rewarding, others describe it as tedious and frustrating, detracting from the overall experience. The difficulty settings also influence the grinding experience, with higher difficulties increasing the grind without enhancing combat engagement.

    • “This is a grindy mess with shallow exploration and shallower stats.”
    • “To say this game is grindy would be an understatement.”
    • “The excessive amount of grinding is what's holding back an otherwise good game.”
  • graphics130 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they feel outdated and lack detail, especially for a title released in 2016. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and find the visuals serviceable, others criticize the lack of polish and the overall aesthetic, suggesting that it falls short compared to more recent titles in the genre. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant drawback, though some players have found ways to enhance their experience through mods.

    • “The graphics are very nice, the camera is excellent.”
    • “The emphasis on raising and nurturing your digimon partners, coupled with vibrant visuals and engaging combat, makes for an enjoyable and immersive gameplay experience.”
    • “Awesome gameplay of course, 70 percent of the gameplay loop is you raising and caring for your digimon, evolving them and making them as strong as possible, while at the same time finding new digimon to recruit to your city (hub area) and exploring a big 'open world' (split up with short loading screens) being on PC the graphics are 10/10 for a game like this that's been ported from handhelds.”
    • “Art/graphics: simply put, this game is ugly, the world map is devoid of detail and many areas are just flat textures, with 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 having graphics that are worse than the PS1 game, whereas the PS1 game had a unique art style in using pixel art that gave it a certain charm; for this game, they never polished any of the landscape, assets, or character models.”
  • music74 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its nostalgic elements and catchy tracks that evoke memories of the original series, while others find it forgettable or lacking in variety. Many players appreciate the remixed themes from the original game, but express disappointment over the absence of several iconic tracks. Overall, while the soundtrack adds personality to the game, it sometimes feels repetitive and fails to capture the sense of adventure present in earlier titles.

    • “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.”
    • “Great OST that makes me feel really nostalgic.”
    • “Graphics feel kind of old, and the music is... forgettable for the most part.”
    • “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.”
    • “Almost all of the music from Digimon World 1 isn't featured.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and quick loading times, some experience significant issues that detract from the overall enjoyment. The PC port generally runs well, particularly on higher-end graphics cards, but the lack of clear mouse and keyboard controls is a notable drawback. Despite these inconsistencies, many users appreciate the game's graphics and soundtrack.

    • “Well optimized loading screens literally take no time at all and the 'running' is a good addition.”
    • “The game runs smoothly on my GeForce 3xxx.”
    • “The player will have a great experience with this game when it comes to performance.”
    • “I really did, but the performance was horrible.”
  • atmosphere16 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players feeling that it lacks the charm and immersive quality of the original, particularly due to changes in sound design and a perceived overemphasis on an "anime atmosphere." While the world is noted to be expansive and visually memorable, many long-time fans express disappointment over the loss of the mysterious and engaging ambiance that characterized the original title. Overall, there is a call for a deeper understanding and representation of the franchise's atmosphere in future developments.

    • “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 developer really reset the sound during building changes in the same district, which ruins the chill atmosphere if you try to roam around in that district.”
    • “There's also a loss of atmosphere between these two games.”
    • “Next time that you reboot a franchise, don’t just put someone from your previous games in charge; find someone who legitimately loves the franchise, have them fill out an essay on what they loved about the original, and make sure they understand how to represent its atmosphere.”
  • replayability12 mentions

    The replayability of "Digimon World: Next Order" is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the ability to raise different Digimon for varied experiences, many feel the game lacks the incentives to replay it after completing the main storyline. Some users found enjoyment in cycling through generations to unlock forms, but overall, the consensus leans towards limited replay value compared to the original game. The availability of online guides for a second playthrough has been noted as a factor that enhances playability.

    • “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).”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “Finding out that internet guides exist in the second playthrough definitely made this game more playable.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game exhibits some minor bugs typical of Unity-developed titles, but these issues are generally not game-breaking and do not detract significantly from the overall experience. Players appreciate the stability during gameplay, particularly the feature that pauses time when using items in battles, enhancing the strategic elements without major disruptions. Overall, while there are occasional glitches, they are manageable and do not hinder enjoyment.

    • “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.”
    • “Great game for Digimon fans, it has a little bit of glitches here and there, but not bad enough to rage quit.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly through its nostalgic ties to the original, which evokes feelings of joy and sentimentality. However, some note that important backstory elements may be overlooked, potentially impacting the overall emotional experience. The game's price point is also mentioned, suggesting that while it can elicit strong feelings, it may be worth waiting for a sale if the nostalgia factor isn't a priority.

    • “This game made me feel that nostalgic serotonin <3 pretty good, price is a little steep so if you're not craving the early 2000's Digimon World kick, maybe wait until it goes on sale, or don't, you're an adult that can make their own choices without having to read reviews.”
    • “Touching on the original game, a lot of the backstory could actually be missed even by the time you beat the game's final boss.”
  • humor4 mentions

    Users find the humor in the game to be enjoyable, particularly in the context of retail experiences. However, there is a desire for more cosmetic customization options, such as funny hats for characters, which could enhance the comedic elements further.

    • “I want to work as a retail employee again; it was funny!”
    • “There's no cosmetic customization like in Re:Digitize. Goddamn, I want to put a funny hat on my Craniamon!”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development has been criticized for its lack of creativity, with specific mention of unappealing character designs, particularly noting the male protagonist's exaggerated physical features. Overall, players feel that the character design fails to engage or inspire interest.

  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy employed by Bandai Namco has been criticized for being a trend of low-quality cash grabs, leading to disappointment among users.

    • “A continuing embarrassing trend of cheap, low-quality cash grabs by Bandai Namco.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

15hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
3-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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