PS1 Games
I’ve played quite a few Digimon games, way more than these, but I have a soft spot for the first three Digimon games on Playstation. Despite carrying the “World” moniker, each title has its own gameplay goals, mechanics, systems, and visual presentation. Because of this, the games have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I have a lot of nostalgia and love for the aesthetics of these games. If it weren't for renting Digimon World 2 at Blockbuster,I would never have even become a Digimon fan. So here's to some of the games that I love-havemixedfeelingsabout!
The first Digimon World aims to capture the spirit of the original Digimon v-pet. For this reason it’s my favorite of the trilogy. The player is given a Digimon they must raise by training, feeding, letting them go to the bathroom, praising, disciplining, and battling them. Evolution is the result of a combination of choices made by the player. It took me many years to figure this all out (I hated World as a kid), but once I did I was addicted. I really enjoy seeing what my Digimon will turn into, and how it gets better with each generation. Put that all on a colorful island, and I’m having a blast!
Digimon World has its issues though. The game is punishing and not always forthcoming. Important stats are hidden, certain quests are unintuitive due to a bad translation, and good items are hard to come by. A guide is a must to properly optimize a Digimon.
I still love Digimon World. I’m glad Digimon World Re:Digitize and Digimon World Next Order (my favorite Digimon game period) were able to follow it… eventually.
World 2 was my introduction to the Digimon franchise, and what a weird way to start. This entry completely divorces itself from its predecessor by replacing monster raising with dungeon crawling. Digimon are now creatures to collect, level up, and evolve to partake in 3 v 3 battles. This itself isn’t a problem, the problem is the game is designed to waste time. Mechanics are unintuitive (capturing Digimon and the DP system for a start), battle animations take way too long, and the dungeons are extremely punishing. The only way to win is to grind, and grind, and grind some more. I’ve never been able to finish World 2 because it’s so exhausting.
And yet, I still have this weird love for Digimon World 2. It hooked me on Digimon as a kid! Right off the bat, I loved the way the Digimon look. The models for the Digimon mostly come from Digimon World, adding in a new set of creatures unobtainable in that game. They are smaller and a bit rugged, but that’s okay to me! The soundtrack is also great. The domain themes and boss battles stand out as some of my favorite video game tracks period.
I collect Digimon World 2 merchandise, the aesthetics of this game are buried in a warm fuzzy part of mind. It’s just too bad the game itself is kind of a mess!
Digimon World 3 is a great Digimon game, but feels more like “Digimon Story 0”. (For those unaware, Digimon Story is a series of Digimon RPGs that began on the Nintendo DS and have continued into the modern era of gaming. It’s a confusing series because in the west it was called “Digimon World DS” and “Digimon World Dusk and Dawn”.)
Digimon World 3 is not a v-pet game, but it’s also not a dungeon crawler like World 2. Instead, it is a 1v1 JRPG with a party of three Digimon. Each Digimon has a branching evolution line and, similar to the anime, can evolve or regress depending on which form the player needs in a battle. Evolutions sequences can play out during battle, modeled a lot like Digimon Tamers. I LOVE this. It feels like the first time Digimon was tried to bridge the anime and games into something cohesive. Couple in fan service (like finding Digimentals and Jogress) and you a product for the fans.
Digimon World 3 is also a gorgeous looking game. Its overworld is sprite based which has aged very well. The soundtrack is once again amazing, featuring more electronic music that I revisit often.
Unfortunately, it’s not perfect. There are, once again, unintuitive mechanics, questlines, and a need to grind. It’s not as hard as its predecessors, but it still could feel like a slog at times. Even so, World 3 is one of the best Digimon RPGs in the series.