Bandai Namco’sDigimonfranchise has been around a long time, and seen quite a few different incarnations, butDigimon Survivestill looks like it could stand out from the rest. From the looks of things,Digimon Survivewill have a significantly darker plot than most, with character’s lives at stake, hanging on the player’s decisions. Unfortunately forDigimonfans, there’s no release date for the game yet, and due to a recent change in developers, it’s unclear if the game will still make its 2022 release window. Until Bandai Namco says otherwise, though, hope remains for a promptDigimon Surviverelease.
More broadly, though, Bandai Namco really ought to start discussingDigimon Survivemore eagerly. That’s becauseDigimon’s longtime rival,Pokemon,is poised to have an extremely productive 2022. Just whenPokemonfans thought they had gotten the franchise’s big 2022 game, Nintendo and Game Freak announcedthe next generation ofPokemongames.Pokemon ScarletandVioletmay be many months away, but nevertheless, they’re bound to dominate the monster-training RPG genre in 2022 unless Bandai Namco really manages to make some noise aroundDigimon Survive.Without some enthusiastic support in the coming months, this unique newDigimontitle could struggle to succeed.
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Pokemon’s Plans for 2022
ThePokemonfranchise started 2022 with a bang thanks toPokemon Legends: Arceus, which overhauled lots of franchise conventions and gave players more freedom than ever to explore thePokemonworld. Although fans had some reservations going intoPokemon Legends: Arceus,the game has thoroughly proven itself to be a worthy new addition to thePokemonfamily. What’s more,its new Daybreak updatesuggests that Game Freak will release additional content for the game throughout the year to keep fans playing.Pokemon Legends: Arceusalready presented a strong rival toDigimon Survive,but if updates keepPL:Arelevant throughout the year, then it’ll be even harder to contest.
Of course,Digimon Survivealso hasPokemon ScarletandVioletto bear in mind now.Pokemon SwordandShieldhave received continued support from Game Freak in the last few years, but it seems the company is finally ready to move on to a new generation. Details onPokemon ScarletandVioletare scarce, but its starter Pokemon and glimpses at a new region make the ninth generation ofPokemonlook very promising. At the same time, a new generation ofPokemongames is the last thingDigimon Survivewould want to release alongside, but due to potential delays after switching developers, odds are good thatDigimon Survivewill release nearScarletandVioletif it still releases in 2022.
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Digimon Survive Needs a Comeback
For the moment, Bandai Namco has an opportunity to makeDigimon Survivethrive.Pokemon Legends: Arceusmay still be current, and hype for a newPokemongeneration may be on the rise, but there’s still a decent window in the middle of 2022 where thesePokemongames will be a few months in the past and future respectively. Hopefully, Bandai Namco seizes on summer 2022 to advertise and discussDigimon Surviveas much as possible while there’s a lull in newPokemoncontent.
There’s certainly an argument to be made for delayingDigimon Surviveout of 2022. The aforementionedchange inDigimon Survive’s developercould make a 2022 release hard to reach, and waiting until 2023 could allowDigimon Surviveto dodgePokemonhype more effectively. Still, it’d be a shame to see the game get yet another delay. Fans have been waiting onDigimon Survivesince 2018, and it’s already taken years longer to release than originally expected. If releasingDigimon Survivein 2022 is still feasible, then it’d be great to see the game release this year, even if it means fighting tooth and nail withPokemonfor publicity.
Digimon Survivereleases in 2022 for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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