Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition Critic Reviews

All in all, it’s hard to argue against this collection, even with those small technical issues. For less than a full-priced game you are getting not one, but two great and substantial RPGs. Cyber Sleuth is easily among the best Digimon games and stories, while Hacker’s Memory might have its downsides compared to the base game but still is an good game on its own. If you ever enjoyed Digimon but haven’t played either of these games, then this is the way to experience modern Digimon at its best. Even those who haven’t heard of Digimon can have a good time since they’re great RPGs, and those who already played them can even go back to the original Cyber Sleuth and enjoy its improvements taken from Hacker’s Memory. If the future of Digimon games takes notes from this series, then I’m excited to see them evolve even further.

Despite a somewhat repetitive level design and an online mode that can be improved, this compilation of the two most recent turn-based role-playing games of the Digimon franchise is an essential experience for those who want to enjoy an interesting plot, a classic but deep combat system and an excellent artistic section created by Suzuhito Yasuda.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition might, at first glance, come off as a Pokémon copycat but don't be fooled. This game has a lot to offer on its own. It meshes the real world and digital worlds together all while providing its own unique creature capture system.

Even those who aren’t usually fans of Digimon are likely to enjoy this Complete Edition quite a lot because that’s exactly what happened to me when I first played Cyber Sleuth back in 2016. This is a great case of a company understanding the need to mature along with their fanbase, leading to a series of games that stand out amongst its competition while never losing sight of what people fell in love with to begin with.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition is easily the best way to experience these games. While there isn’t a ton in the way of additional content, these are already some pretty hefty games that you could easily clock fifty or so hours in each. There are a few nice quality of life changes as well such as being able to use Digimon previously only found in Hacker’s Memory, but these were honestly such solid games to begin with that I don’t really think there was much you could do to improve on them. The price is just right too, and getting two excellent RPGs for the price is never a bad thing. If you’re even slightly interested in this type of game, you’ll likely enjoy it as much as I did, despite the few shortcomings it has.

Two excellent monster-taming games with something for almost every playstyle.

While it may not add anything to make it worth double dipping outside of some previous additional content, Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition gains the element of portability on the Nintendo Switch that makes the game more accessible than ever to play as you aim to collect the more than 300 available Digimon and save the real and digital worlds.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition is a content-packed RPG with plenty to see and do. Its evolution system feels wholly unique when compared to another monster-breeding game series you might find on Nintendo hardware, and while the grind may be too much for some, it’s comfortably one of the best creature-catchers on the Switch – although Pokémon still holds the crown, of course.

Both Cyber Sleuth games provide solid RPGs that will appeal to both longtime Digimon fans and newcomers alike.

Cyber Sleuth is worth giving a try for die-hard JRPG fans or those that have wanted to give the genre a shot but found early game tutorials too overbearing. It's a little bit of Persona mixed with a whole lot of Pokemon, and it offers something for fans of both of those franchises. It may have a story that's a little difficult to follow at times, but it more than makes up for it with quite a bit of charm. Players will have to get passed the oddities of Digimon's world, but doing so should prove to be a pretty rewarding experience.

The writing and gameplay are both quite enjoyable, though I can’t shake the feeling that they both kind of seem like almost-as-good Shin Megami Tensei games that are a little more accessible and have a hint of Pokémon. If that sounds good to you, I recommend the collection wholeheartedly. If not, well, there you go.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition is one of the best values that a JRPG fan can get on the Nintendo Switch. The games are fun if not particularly special, but they scratch the "got to catch 'em all" itch. They're marred by some issues, like inconsistent difficulty and a dodgy translation, but nothing ruins the experience. If you're a Digimon fan or just RPG faithful looking for something new to try, it's worth giving Cyber Sleuth a shot.

For players that have yet to play either of these two titles, this package is more than worth picking up as it comes at a great price for two separate titles. Whether either is worth a replay or not is debatable, however. This package came at perhaps the wrong time of year, given how many other great JRPGs (and Pokemon itself) have been released at the same time. These are fun little games, but they're hardly classics.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth is built for the fans of the series. There were things I enjoyed, like my trial-and-error of finding new Digimon through the evolutionary lines, and things I did not, like the lost item quests. The item was sometimes feet away from the person! The game may never win any awards for its story, but it was a solid romp in a digital atmosphere that reminded me how much I enjoyed the television series when I was younger.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition teeters on the precipice of being a must-have JRPG, but is, unfortunately, let down by a myriad of story-related issues. Thematics and pacing complaints aside, however, there’s certainly plenty of content here to keep JRPG enthusiasts thoroughly entertained.

It does nothing with its mechanics or story that allows it to rise to the level of RPG greats like Persona 5 but what it does do is perfectly entertaining in its own right.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition isn’t going to wow you unless you already have a built-in appreciation for the franchise.

It certainly offers a wealth of content as it contains two already sizeable games and they even manage to weave some interesting stories while incorporating good gameplay ideas. Unfortunately, all those pluses come with their own fair share of minuses, with the most damning creating significant pacing issues. Far too often, you are dragged away from the main story to deal with repetitive and uninteresting filler. These problems ease up a little bit once you make it to the second game, but they are still present even if it’s not quite as bad. So, while there’s plenty to love in the games, you will have to work your way through some genuinely boring and annoying stuff to reach all of it.

Digimon Cyber Sleuth comprises of two nearly perfect Digimon game experiences, but unfortunately, they’re smack dab in the middle of an experiment in the franchise that feels much more like a chore than a game. When you’re finding, raising, and battling Digimon, you’ll be in heaven. But the insane amount of unskip-able dialogue and shallow “mystery-solving” gameplay is enough to turn off even the most dedicated fan.

The Digimon Story titles can only blame themselves for the failure to realize the themes they seem to chase. The mechanics are unsuitable for developing a relationship between the player and the Digimon. The cliché-ridden characters and plot defeat the emotional impact of Cyber Sleuth, and poor scripting makes Hacker’s Memory feel irrelevant. What’s left is an astonishing quantity of JRPG grist. While there’s some satisfaction in grinding it down, none of it leaves a lasting impact.