Project initially announced in 2018 for a release in 2019 but constantly postponed since, Digimon Survive is the symbol of the difficulties of the franchise, which had however started the previous generation well with the success of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. During Digimon Con 2022, which took place last weekend, Bandai Namco took the time to discuss these delays while offering a new trailer that the publisher will probably put online soon. It is centered on the main characters of the story, transported as a reminder in a kind of alternate dimension populated by monsters during their school trip in the middle of nowhere.
Exploration in the traditional sense still doesn’t seem to be on the agenda: the game is presented as a mixture of point & click text adventure and turn-based tactical confrontations, with a proportion of 70% for narrative and 30% for the fights, knowing that only the main passages of the story will be dubbed. “The course of the adventure part consists of adjusting your equipment in order to win battles, as well as training and preparing your Digimon for combat, while leveling them up in free battles. Four difficulty levels will be available for the fights“, explained the producer Kazumasa Habu.
A darker story and themes for a young adult audience
The latter adds that technology will also play a role in the story and the mechanics, in particular the fact of observing the surroundings through the camera of his smartphone, a reflex that fans of augmented reality no doubt already have in their blood. “I decided to portray Digimon as an otherworldly life form that can be identified and communicated with through the digital gadgets of the human world.“, notes the producer, who also promises a story that is a little darker than usual, with the game mainly aimed at young adult fans.
“Since Digimon are portrayed as a part of everyone’s inner self, there are dark things not usually seen in conventional Digimon works, such as denying Digimon by refusing to stare in the face, or harm the Digimon in a form of self-harm. Be warned that if you are a fan of the anime or other Digimon works, you may find some descriptions unpleasant“, he explains. Adding to this the presence of a relational affinity system and the fact that each character seems associated with a particular creature, we understand that the shadow of Persona does not seem far away.
Kazumasa Habu also explained that the delay of the game is the consequence of a change of development studio. Instead of being developed by Witchcraft, the Hyde studio (Rune Factory 5) took over the game, as indicated by the official Bandai Namco website. In this context, we understand that the publisher now prefers to wait until the last moment before advancing on a new release date. “However, thanks to the efforts of the new development team, we are now able to get back on track and we are getting closer and closer to the end of development.“, commented the producer.
We also learn that the story of Digimon Survive will be divided into 12 chapters and that the player will be faced with a branching of three roads from chapter 8: Morality, Harmony and Anger. According to the producer, it would take between 80 and 100 hours to see all the routes and all the secret content. Finally, it is announced that a selection of 113 monsters can be trained.
The next Digimon Story is still in development
Airtime for the next Digimon Story was significantly shorter. We can only barely confirm that this title announced in December 2017 and last mentioned in September 2018 is still in development. Successor to the great commercial success that was Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, the game will be an opportunity to reconnect with the digital world and learn more about the members of the Olympos XII who will play a central role in the story.
Given the difficulties Bandai Namco is having with designing new Digimon, perhaps fans’ salvation will come from the past? In any case, this is what producer Kazumasu Habu suggests when answering a question relating more specifically to a possible remake / remaster of the Digimon World released on PlayStation in 1999.
“We have received many requests for a port or remake of the original Digimon World. I view it with optimism. But at the same time, I’m also considering which choice – port, remaster or remake – would be best. We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments section or elsewhere.“, he commented.