Digimon Up launched today and I really wish it hadn’t

Digimon Up has been released today, and you can download it from the App Store or Google Play. It is an idle game where you select one of an actually decent selection of Digimon to level up and Digivolve. Great, that is the news part of this out of the way; onto the important bit. I can sum up Digimon Up in two words: don’t bother. 

It is a game that rattled me so much that I am turning this into an ad hoc review. What rubbish this is. It is an idle game that is so idle it borders on pointless. Some games let you tap the screen to attack. Digimon Up only wants you tapping to confirm that the game has completed missions for you, or to summon equipment or buddy Digimon.

The only interactive part of this game is also boring

There is one part of this game where you have some form of agency, and that is the Digital World Search. This is a tiny grid where you tap squares to move or break rocks for drops before running out of stamina in about a minute. And then it is back to just watching my Garurumon sprite bark blue beams.

Eventually, you will run into a stage where you can’t win, and by you, I of course mean the game can’t beat itself. All you can do is tap cards to use skills, but even that is automated for you. Then you will get pop-ups saying “you should pay to get better”, which brings me onto the monetisation.

There are four Battle Passes to purchase if you want the full experience. This will set you back about £20.00, and for what? More vouchers for more idle gameplay? Even the PvP is woefully automated. Yes, Digimon World: Next Order has automated PvP, but that game also had gameplay. A revolutionary idea, Bandai; try it next time.

Digimon ReArise is rolling in its grave

Here's what bothers me the most. Digimon ReArise was a fantastic mobile game. It is proof that Digimon can kill it on mobile. And I will go one step further. Digimon World Championship on the DS is a perfect template that would work on mobile. It’s not too taxing on hardware, and you get to actively raise Digimon.

As it is, Digimon Up is rubbish, and more annoyingly, it has features that it will only release days after server launch. No, give me all your gameplay now, especially if we are left with this for days. And my final complaint - or the final one I will write; I have tons. The trailers. They made this look like proper team battles where you had to use cards to fight. Which I suppose is what we got, but the trailers hid this horrific idle nonsense really well. 

This all pains me to say because I love Digimon. I am writing this with an adorable Gabumon figure staring at me with those wide eyes. I am sorry, little guy, but your new game is an abhorrent pit of boredom. Skip it, play something good instead. Hell, go headbutt a wall; even that will be better. This is how fair and impartial news works, right?