Digimon World 4

Apart from another well known monster collecting series spanning about twenty five years, there are few other series that can offer a diverse roster, an emotive storyline or a unique and cohesive world as the Digimon series. This 2000’s property has an incredibly loyal fan base and has continued to produce content, inviting new generations into the fold to enjoy the wonderful world of Digimon. Digimon World 4 is just one example of this.

This game plays rather like games such as other Digimon games like Digimon: Next Order and Digimon World: Re-Digitize as well as other series like Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles or Jade Cacoon. This game aims to be the perfect blend of strategy and action and push the series forward. However, does this push Digimon World in the right direction? We find out in our review of Digimon World 4.

A Swing and a Miss

Digimon World 4 takes some pretty big risks in the hope of standing out and drawing new fans to the series. However, we have to say that a lot of these changes are not for the better. First, the game is built with co-op gameplay in mind, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, due to the fact that the single player is dull and lifeless, with AI components and poor pacing that only becomes more apparent with no partner beside you, it simply means that the cracks will be clear much sooner to you.

That being said, even in a co-op context, you won’t have to dig too far. The gameplay itself isn’t difficult but the gameplay has a lack of balance or clever design that leads to issues. For example, the enemy encounter ratio and lack of healing opportunities make this game unnecessarily tricky and unlike games that offer a fair challenge, this one simply serves to frustrate the player.

The upside to this game is that it looks rather impressive for the time, with a cavalcade of recognisable characters and a unique storyline to enjoy. Plus, there is a lot of content to get through which, if it wasn’t for the poor design issues, would offer more than enough injections of serotonin to warrant a full playthrough.

The Verdict

Overall, Digimon World 4 is a game that tries to be something new and succeeds, however, in the worst way possible. Without a friend, the gameplay is dull and lifeless. The gameplay is artificially difficult and repetitive either way and tactically, this game is far from the deep experience that it promises to be.

Pros:

• Visually up to the usual standard
• Unique storyline
• Decent co-op experience

Cons:

• Very poor single player experience
• Lack of depth
• Frustrating artificial difficulty