Digimon World: Next Order

Next Order isn't without flaws, but it's exactly the kind of game the Digimon World series needed after a regional hiatus. While the unconventional combat and grind-heavy skill training aren't likely to deter fans of the franchise, newcomers might find some of the game's quirks unwelcoming. As such, Digimon World: Next Order likely won't appeal to everyone, but the game is something longtime fans of the series will have no problem dumping hours upon hours into.

Digimon World: Next Order is an open-world RPG that's too much of a grind to recommend. While the music and graphics have their charm, they're totally overshadowed by the unbalanced difficulty, highly-repetitive training mechanics, and some very strange design choices. Unless you're a die-hard Digimon fan with untold patience, this one is best left alone.

A dense and impenetrable creature-management simulation that relishes in gut-punching the player every time they make progress.

While the world is vast, it feels barren with an uneven difficulty. Digimon World: Next Order is a fantastic RPG for those who like to get down into the nitty-gritty of different stats and how they can affect your Digimon. For everyone else, it might have one too many frustrations.

Digimon World: Next Order offers a completely different experience from the usual in the genre and is one that you can not miss any of the most fans of the franchise.

For better or worse, Digimon World: Next Order has all of Bandai’s best ideas mixed together into one complex title. As a game, this can be huge and intimidating, but it can also be someone’s comfort game to melt into at the end of a long day. As a port, Digimon World: Next Order should be praised for its continuous improvement as it jumps from one platform to the next, but its pricetag hasn’t improved in its 7 year run, which can put off some players who have become accustomed to purchasing ports at a lower pricepoint. Digimon World: Next Order was an overwhelming first foray into Digimon, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was blown away by the complexity, nuance, and depth the series has to offer. Perhaps Digimon truly are the champions after all!

With several points to consider, it's a fact that Digimon World: Next Order is not for everyone. For newcomers who like the first work in the series, this entry should certainly please, as most of the mechanics are more functional and rewarding, especially when it comes to digievolutions. Unfortunately, for those who have already had the opportunity to play Next Order before, there is no real reason to pay such a high price for this new edition, because apart from the Portuguese subtitles, there is no really significant improvement.

Being extremely close to the original concept, which at least in Japan had been designed for the ill-fated PlayStation Vita, the hybrid nature of Nintendo Switch has returned to the product a portability that keeps boredom away and is well suited to its Pet Simulator mechanics.

I can’t recommend Digimon World: Next Order and honestly I have begun to question why I liked it as a kid. I am sure it had to do with the later cool evolutions that happen but there are better games and even anime’s that showcase this better than having suffered through this game. While seeing some of the old faces brought back some nostalgia in the end it was just that, and the game was just a chore to play… literally.

The game feels more like a nostalgic tribute to the original that came out on PSOne and does barely anything to make its formula feel fresher and more enjoyable.