The digital trading card game (TCG) fever is heating up, as the Digimon franchise has revealed its answer to the highly popular Pokémon TCG Pocket. Bandai Namco announced during this year’s Digimon Con livestream that Digimon Alysion, a free-to-play card game battler for iOS and Android devices, is in the works, with a closed beta set to launch in the coming months.
Other details about the project, including a release window and specific mechanics, are sparse, but the teaser trailer offered a first look at some of its characters and gameplay. There appears to be a story mode featuring human Katana Hondo and her Digimon partner, Gemmon, who are joined by a white- and golden-haired girl called Futre and Valner Dragnogh, respectively.
Like other titles in the genre, Digimon Alysion sees players building different decks that depict various characters from across the franchise, complete with pack openings, pixel art of beloved critters, and battling fun. Microtransactions will also be included, alongside the ability to raise Tamagotchi-like virtual pets, making for a neat callback to its origins.
Considering the phenomenal success of Pokémon TCG Pocket, which earned over US$200 million in its first month of release, it isn’t surprising that the Digimon franchise wants to venture into the genre. Whether it will become a hit remains to be seen, but there’s no denying that fans old and new are in for a good time — in addition to Bandai Namco’s upcoming new title Digimon Story: Time Stranger, there’s also the Beatbreak anime series to check out, both due to release later this year.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Edwin Teo
