Everything positive that I said about the original game is either maintained or elevated in Hacker's Memory. This is, of course, due to the fact that Hacker's Memory is built directly on top of Cyber Sleuth's foundation, but it's a good foundation!
Hacker's Memory uses the world set up by Cyber Sleuth to tell a story that's much less concerned with the over-the-top earth-shattering events of the first game, and much more concerned with a strong cast of characters living in that world. The members of Hudie are simple, likeable, and all get their own satisfying character arc. These are side characters in the broader world of Cyber Sleuth, and they know they're side characters, and they interact almost exclusively with other side characters. I think the way the cast is developed despite the fact their actions are often futile is really interesting, and seems to comment on the nature of what it means to be a side game. All this is to say, Hacker's Memory's greatest asset is its narrative, and it's much better than Cyber Sleuth in that regard.
The only thing here that wasn't drastically improved is the combat system, and it's probably the thing that needed it the most. It really sucks to spend hours upon hours finely tuning your team of genetically engineered freak Digimon only to go into a battle and realize you're gonna spam the same move 99% of the time. Halfway through this game I started using autobattle for virtually everything that wasn't a boss. I know these games are made on a budget of $50 and a ball of twine, and it's impressive that they can make a game on this scale with that budget, but the combat system desperately needs an overhaul if they ever make another Story game.
Also bring Masafumi Takada back and let him compose more than like 5 songs for a 50 hour game. Seriously, it got to the point where I could predict the exact song they would play during every single scene, which was kind of a metagame in itself. Maybe that was intentional? Probably not.
Wormmon is best boy.
Hacker's Memory uses the world set up by Cyber Sleuth to tell a story that's much less concerned with the over-the-top earth-shattering events of the first game, and much more concerned with a strong cast of characters living in that world. The members of Hudie are simple, likeable, and all get their own satisfying character arc. These are side characters in the broader world of Cyber Sleuth, and they know they're side characters, and they interact almost exclusively with other side characters. I think the way the cast is developed despite the fact their actions are often futile is really interesting, and seems to comment on the nature of what it means to be a side game. All this is to say, Hacker's Memory's greatest asset is its narrative, and it's much better than Cyber Sleuth in that regard.
The only thing here that wasn't drastically improved is the combat system, and it's probably the thing that needed it the most. It really sucks to spend hours upon hours finely tuning your team of genetically engineered freak Digimon only to go into a battle and realize you're gonna spam the same move 99% of the time. Halfway through this game I started using autobattle for virtually everything that wasn't a boss. I know these games are made on a budget of $50 and a ball of twine, and it's impressive that they can make a game on this scale with that budget, but the combat system desperately needs an overhaul if they ever make another Story game.
Also bring Masafumi Takada back and let him compose more than like 5 songs for a 50 hour game. Seriously, it got to the point where I could predict the exact song they would play during every single scene, which was kind of a metagame in itself. Maybe that was intentional? Probably not.
Wormmon is best boy.