Summary

Digimon Story: Time Strangerhas players of the franchise absolutely hyped, with some of the most anticipated Partner returns, and some Digital Monsters making their debut on a game for the first time. Still, there are plenty ofDigimongames to play beforeTime Sranger,and some are so good that they can trap players in the Digital World for hundreds of hours.

So, here’s a list of thebest gamesto play beforeDigimon Story: Time Stranger.From a title that dared to defy the supreme rule ofPokemongames, to a sequel to one of the bestDigimongames of all time, that became a love letter for all fans of the franchise.

Digimon World DS Tag Page Cover Art

Digimon World DSarrived at a time whenPokemongames were dominating the handheld console market, and still managed to score some decent sales and rally the fans of a franchise in decline. AfterDigimon Worldrevolutionized the Playstation game world, and its sequels disappointed the fans, this game was just what the fans needed: A huge world to explore,tons of Digimon to meetand train, and some decent mechanics.

Nowadays, it has become a sort of niche game. For those who still have the Nintendo DS console, it is one of the best options to jump into the franchise before playingDigimon Story Time Stranger.

digimon-survive-cover

Digimon Survive​​​​​​offers some intense fights, a great and enthralling story, and some of the best developments that ‘chosen children’ will experience in the Digital World. Still, it has its flaws, like its exasperatingly slow pacing and similarities to other tactical JRPGs, which might drive some of the more conservative players mad.

Nevertheless, it is undeniable that its narrative is compelling and attractive for all kinds of audiences, with characters who are not just there for the ride, and various protagonists that have been dubbed as ‘the best of the franchise,’ like Takuma (AKA The Leader) and his partner Agumon, and Aoi, the fan - favorite female character, with Labramon, one of the core Digimon of the team. If players are looking todive into the Digital Worldfor the first time, thenDigimon Surviveis a fairly decent starting point.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Tag Page Cover Art

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuthisunlike any otherDigimongame, since it prioritizes story and the relationship between characters above combat mechanics. Similar to other titles, its combat system is turn-based (quite similar to Digimon World 2 and 3), and it has a Cross Combo feature that allows various Digimon from the team to act in unison to cause more damage.

But there’s one thing to mention before players try this title: The main attraction of the title is the story. Partner Digimon are not the usual overpowered chosen partners who become world saviors (or destroyers), and are represented as normal Digimon trying to survive. The partners are well-balanced. Players can also enjoy a side story that happens at the same time as the events in the main game, called Hacker’s Memories. It is recommended that players enjoy the original story first before playing the spin-off, to avoid spoilers and get the hang of the combat mechanics.

Digimon World: Next Order Tag Page Cover Art

2Digimon Masters Online

Digimon Masters Online (or DMO) is one of the best Digimon games ever made, since it offers access to some of the most popular (and strongest) Digi-Evolutions, and players can have endless Digimon Partners, as long as they have the grit to grind them all (during events, or from the various In-Game activities) or are ready to put in the cash for Eggs and Incubator Data. Though its Digimon Acquisition System has been fairly criticized as too micro-transaction focused, it still offers tons of hours of fun alongside some of the best Digimon in the franchise.

Want to have Apocalymon as a Partner? No problem.Or perhaps the vicious Lucemon(in all its forms)? Players can have dozens of partners, and even Jogress-Evolution them to get some of the most broken Digimon that have walked the surface of the Digital World. Every partner and the trainer can level up, unlocking new abilities, stats, and more partner slots to have even more Partners. Players can even get Fanglongmon, which is the Jogress evolution of four different Mega Digimon: Azulongmon, Baihumon, Ebonwumon, and Zhuqiaomon.

Digimon World: Next Orderis the best choice for those old Playstation 1 players (and newcomers as well) that want to experience the Digital World in a direct sequel to the acclaimedDigimon World 1.With a standalone story, based on the same premise: To restore the Digital World by gathering all allied Digimon in the Village of Beginnings.

Alongside old friends like Jijimon, and new allies that will join the crew, players can have over 200 different Digimon from the In-Training phase to the powerful Mega stage. The main difference with the original Digmon World, is that players have 2 partners at the same time, which allows them to Jogress (AKA DNA Digi Evolution) into powerful forms like Omegamon, Belphemon, and more. All in all, it’s an awesome game, with cool battle mechanics, and tons of quests to complete.