Digimon Story - Lost Evolution is one of those DS RPGs that never made it outside Japan, which is a shame because it’s actually one of the better Digimon games. You start off with a rookie Digimon—I went with Agumon, classic choice—and the usual training and battling kicks off pretty quick. The evolution system’s the real hook here, though. Instead of just leveling up, you actually "break" and rebuild Digimon DNA chains to unlock new forms, which sounds weird but makes grinding way more satisfying.

Battles are turn-based but with a twist: positioning matters, and some attacks hit harder depending on where your Digimon stands. Early fights feel easy, but once you hit the mid-game, you’ll actually need to think about team combos. The story’s nothing groundbreaking (evil corporation, digital world in peril), but the writing’s got some charm, especially if you’re into the Digimon vibe. Just be ready for a lot of Japanese text—no official translation, so patches are your friend.

If you’ve played other Digimon Story games and liked them, this one’s worth digging up.