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.

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.

Two excellent monster-taming games with something for almost every playstyle. [Issue #44 – January/February 2020, p. 70]

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.

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 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 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.