Bandai Namco Entertainment has officially launched an anime short titled “Prelude” for its recently released RPG, Digimon Story: Time Stranger. The short, which premiered on October 13, 2025, serves as a prequel to the game’s narrative and focuses on the character Inori, offering fans an early look into the expansive lore of the latest Digimon Story installment.
The “Prelude” anime short was first screened during the Digimon Beatbreak panel at New York Comic Con 2025 on October 12. It became available for streaming on YouTube starting October 13 at 7:00 a.m. PDT / 10:00 a.m. EDT.
Diving into the Digital World with Digimon Story: Time Stranger
Digimon Story: Time Stranger is the seventh entry in the Digimon Story subseries, developed by Media.Vision and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game officially launched worldwide on October 3, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, featuring both Japanese and English voiceovers.
The Game’s Premise
The RPG blends monster-taming elements with a deep storyline that unravels the mystery of a world’s collapse. Players embark on an adventure spanning across the human world and the Digital World, known as Iliad, collecting and raising a diverse array of Digimon to fight in turn-based battles. The protagonist, an agent of a secret organization named ADAMAS, awakens eight years in the past after a city-leveling explosion in Tokyo, tasked with preventing the catastrophe.
Key Features and Gameplay
Digimon Story: Time Stranger introduces several enhancements to the series:
- Expansive Digital World: Unlike previous entries, the game features a fully continuous Digital World, Iliad, teeming with Digimon taking on various societal roles, creating a more “lived-in” feel. Players can utilize Digimon mounts for traversal.
- Dynamic Turn-Based Combat: The battle system combines strategic elements with evolved components, offering engaging encounters.
- Personality System: A new personality system introduces 16 traits, allowing for diverse stats, preferences, and weaknesses even among the same Digimon, influencing digivolution prerequisites and learned skills.
- Over 450 Digimon: The game boasts a roster of 451 Digimon to collect, excluding DLC additions.
“Prelude” Anime Short: A Prequel to the Mystery
The “Prelude” anime short acts as a direct prequel to the game, focusing on Inori, a crucial ally who partners with the protagonist’s Aegiomon. The short aims to establish her character and aspects of the world a few years prior to the main story events, providing valuable context for players. Bandai Namco released a teaser for the short, showcasing a younger Inori.
Post-Launch Support and Reception
Upon its release, Digimon Story: Time Stranger received positive reviews, with some critics calling it “the boldest entry in the franchise to date”. A day-one patch was also released, adding quality-of-life features such as save data transfer from the demo, dash functionality, and various in-battle adjustments. A free demo of the game, featuring the opening sequence, remains available on all platforms, with save data transferable to the full game. The game also includes collaboration in-game T-shirts featuring other Bandai Namco IPs.
