MINOR SPOILERS AHEADThere was once upon a time when it seemedDigimon Survivewould never come out, but fans were recently rewarded for their patience with its release. Its reception seems largely positive, although a few userreviews onDigimon Surviveseem disingenuous about it being a Visual Novel. Still, with an interesting story and new take on the franchise, it seems to be making a lot of fans happy.
PokemonandDigimonused to be competitors in monster collecting games in a similar vein toBattlefieldandCall of Dutyin FPS games, but that’s not really the case anymore.Pokemonran away with the idea of catching, taming, and working with “monsters,” even ifDigimonhad its own unique space compared to it. Both are near and dear to fans' hearts, but with the release ofDigimon Survive,some fans have mused about how its approach to “catching” monsters, choices, and other elements could work in aPokemongame. However, while there are certainly elements of the game that would work in thePokemonfranchise, there could never be a ‘Pokemon Survive.’
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Digimon Survive’s Story is Too Dark for Pokemon
Digimon Survivehas a pretty wide appeal, at least on paper. ADigimongame, Visual Novel and choices, and tactical turn-based combat are all highlights, but perhaps the biggest draw of it is its darker story. And the developer was not joking when it saidDigimon Survivewas dark. Without delving into spoiler territory, the second death players can encounter is absolutely gruesome, and the fallout is sympathetic, hardcore, and heartbreaking. It’s genuine in its approach. That could never happen in aPokemongame.
Digimonwas able to move away from its child-friendly approach, and that worked for it. It couldn’t work for aPokemongame. Nintendo, Game Freak, and every involved company keepPokemonsuccessful by keeping its even broader appeal aimed at children. Some may argue thatPokemongames are too easyas a result, and somePokemongames can be more mature in some ways (Black and White, X and Y), but explicit death in horrifying ways is not one of them. Legitimate dark storytelling and death would never appear in aPokemongame. It simply would never be allowed by the company.
APokemonvisual novel is not a bad idea, nor is aPokemongame with a heavy influence on choice. It definitely has the turn-based combat down. But a darkPokemonstory would be a no-go from the point of conception, because of how deeply thePokemonandDigimonfranchises have diverged over the years. Some fans, maybe even many of them, would be down for a ‘Pokemon Survive,’ but no one should hold their breath.
Digimon Surviveis available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
