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Digimon Masters Online

Digimon Masters Online, or simply DMO for short, is a 3D fantasy MMORPG based on the popular Digimon franchise. Collect, trade, and battle hundreds of different kinds of digimon.

Publisher: GameKing
Playerbase: High
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: October 20, 2011 (NA/EU)
PvP: Battle System (Duels)
Pros: +Huge variety of Digimon. +Plenty of customization. +Great soundtrack.
Cons: -Very grindy. -Cash shop necessary for end game. -Limited inventory space and Digimon slots.

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Overview

Digimon Masters Online Overview

Welcome to the world of Digimon Masters Online, a world being overrun by wild artificial organisms called Digimon. Digimon come from the Digital World, a parallel world that has gained access to the Human world. Choose to play as one of the four main characters from the popular anime series, Digimon Data Squad. Experience the life of a Digimon Tamer as you partner-up with your chosen Digimon to collect all the Digimon while protecting both your worlds.

Digimon Masters Online Key Features: 

  • Be a Digimon Tamer – that's right. You, a Digimon Tamer. Embark on your own journey as one of the characters from the Digimon Data Squad.
  • Collect Them All! – discover and catch the huge variety of Digimon in the DMO world.
  • Fight in Real-Time – away with that turn-based battle system. Fight in real-time and protect Earth and the Digital World.
  • Evolve Again and Again – use Soul Points to evolve your Digimon during battle, from simple evolutions to more advanced (and cooler) ones.
  • Awesome BGM – enjoy the game with the help of a great soundtrack.

Digimon Masters Online Screenshots

Digimon Masters Online Featured Video

Digimon Masters Online Gameplay Trailer

Classes

Starter Digimon:

Agumon – one of the more famous types of Digimon. They resemble a small fire-breathing T-rex. They possess Vaccine and Fire attributes.

Lalamon – a plant Digimon similar to a flower bud that can put enemies to sleep with their songs. They possess Data and Wood attributes.

Gaomon – a dog-like Digimon that specializes in hit-and-run attacks. They possess Data and Wind attributes.

Falcomon – a bird Digimon that resembles a falcon with ninja skills. They possess Vaccine and Wind attributes.

Full Review

Digimon Masters Online Review

By Marc Marasigan

Digimon Masters Online, also known as DMO, is an anime-themed free-to-play 3D MMORPG that was originally released in South Korea in 2009 under the developer and publisher, MoveGames. The English version was published by Joymax, a subsidiary of WeMade Entertainment, a company known for publishing the English version of Digimon Battle. Digimon Masters Online went into open-beta on September 27, 2011 before being commercially released on October 20, 2011.

DMO is based on the immensely popular Digimon franchise more specifically, the anime Digimon Data Squad. For those who have no idea what Digimon are, Digimon started out as virtual toy pets for boys inspired by the iconic Tamagotchi. An anime show was later released, depicting Digimon as life-like organisms that exist in a parallel universe which originated from Earth’s communication system. These creatures team-up and train with humans known as Digimon Tamers to save both worlds from evil. The anime show, along with its rival, Pokemon (Pocket Monsters), started a craze in the late 1990’s for virtual pets. Despite being aimed at a younger audience, both Digimon and Pokemon continue to appeal to those who grew up playing the games and watching the shows.

DMO is geared toward younger players, but can still be enjoyed by more mature players looking to relive their childhood memories. The game puts players in the shoes of a Digimon Tamer and will have them fighting and training with their partner Digimon, or any other Digimon they catch, to protect both Earth and the Digital World from those who threaten it.

Agumon, I Choose You!

Players start their journey into the Digimon World by creating a character. Unfortunately, the game offers players only four pre-made characters with no option to customize them except for the name. Players can play as one of the main characters from the show: Marcus Damon, Yoshino Fujieda, Thomas H. Norstein, or Keenan Crier. For Digimon fans, it’s possible to play as Taichi and other characters from the earlier shows by purchasing them from the item mall. Picking which character to play is all a matter of preference since they really have no effect on the game.

After choosing a character, players then choose their partner Digimon. Players can pick from Agumon, Gaomon, Falcomon, and Lalamon. Each of the starter Digimon have different Elemental and Digimon Attributes that affects how they do in battle against other Digimon with different attributes. After picking and naming their Digimon, players are now set to enter the game world.

The Digimon World

Digimon Masters Online features cell-shaded graphics that, despite being a bit dated, works incredibly well with the game’s anime theme. The game environment could be a bit more refined, but it still fits the overall theme of the game. Both the Digimon and the Tamer models were done well and look exactly the way they do in the anime. The J-rock/K-rock game music is catchy and upbeat, which would definitely appeal to younger players although the sound effects are really nothing special. The game’s interface and dialogue are riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes right from the start, which is a bit of a nuisance. Inventory space is also at a premium. You start off with a bunch of free consumables that you honestly won’t be needing anytime soon, thus taking up too much space in your already limited inventory.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

The Digimon and Elemental attributes that I mentioned earlier can be compared to a more complex version of Rock, Paper, and Scissors. There are 5 Digimon attributes and 11 Elemental attributes. The Digimon attributes are Data, Vaccine, Virus, No Attribute, and Unknown Attribute while the Elemental Attributes are Fire, Water, Ice, Wind, Thunder, Wood, Land, Light, Pitch Black, Steel, and Neutral. An attribute is strong against some and weak against others. For example, Digimon with the Fire attribute are strong against those with the Ice attribute while being weak against the Water attribute. Neutral Digimon are always at a disadvantage against Digimon of all attributes. Players who have played any Digimon or Pokemon game before will be familiar with this system.

The Life of a Tamer

Digimon Masters Online plays like most MMORPGs and uses the classic point-and-click movement system. The system is tolerable, but it would have been nice if players could just hold down the left mouse button instead of being forced to click on the ground every few seconds. The game is also the first in the franchise to use real-time battles typical of most MMORPGs instead of the earlier turn-based battles. The game has players complete quests to help out various NPCs while moving from one area to the next. Quests have players killing mobs or collecting items, and involve a lot of running back and forth between areas. Quests are a player's bread and butter in the early stages of the game, but grinding becomes a more efficient way of gaining experience points later in the game.

In DMO, unlike other MMORPGs with pet systems, the Digimon do all the dirty work while Tamers just wait around to pick up loot. Tamers issue commands to their Digimons to tell them when to attack and what skill to use, but essentially, it’s the Digimon that do all the fighting. Tamers can use items to heal or replenish their Digimons' Digi-Soul (mana) points. In the Korean version, Tamers can help out their Digimon with a variety of skills, but in the Global servers, players will just have to get used to letting their partner Digimon do all the hard work. Tamers gain levels along with their Digimon, albeit at a much slower rate. Tamers gain access to abilities and certain areas when they reach the required levels. Digimon, on the other hand, grow stronger and unlock new skills as they level up – the same way characters in other MMORPGs do. Digimon can also evolve into stronger (not to mention cooler) versions when they reach certain levels and also unlock additional skills by doing so. Digimon gain the ability to evolve at level 11, 25, 41, and 71 (although some Digimon may require special items to unlock their evolution forms). The evolution isn’t permanent though and uses up a Tamer’s Soul Points while in advanced forms. Once the Tamer’s Soul Points are drained, the Digimon returns to its original form. More advanced evolutions drain Soul Points faster and require more Soul Points to be of any use during battles.

Gotta Catch’em All!

Apart from their partner Digimon, players can also train and use Mercenary Digimon in battles. Mercenary Digimon can be hatched from Digi-Eggs by using incubators found in most of the populated areas. Digi-Eggs need to be combined with the right type of DATA chips to hatch. These chips can be looted from mobs or bought at the item mall. Digi-Eggs need to be injected with a minimum of three DATA chips and a maximum of five for it to hatch. The more DATA chips injected, the stronger the newborn Digimon. However, there is a chance that the Digi-Egg will break after the third injection.

While it’s definitely possible to collect all the Digimon species, players are severely limited by the fact that they are only given four Digimon storage slots. More slots can be purchased from the item mall or received as rewards for staying online.

Goin’ Shopping

DMO’s item mall contains the fairly standard microtransaction items. Players can find consumables like EXP boosts, easy-to-hatch Digi-Eggs, as well as a variety of cosmetic items such as avatars, costumes, and clothes. Players can also find additional Digimon storage space which is essential if they plan on catching all the Digimon species available in the game. While not really game-breaking, the item mall contains items that make life a whole lot easier for players willing to shell out a few bucks.

Final Verdict – Good

While the game does have its flaws, it’s still entertaining and fun to play. This is definitely a game that kids and Digimon fans will enjoy. DMO will be fun and nostalgic for older players looking to go down memory lane.

Screenshots

Digimon Masters Online Screenshots

Videos

Digimon Masters Online Videos

Playlist: Digimon Masters Online

System Requirements

Digimon Masters Online System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP or better
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 or AMD equivalent
Video Card: GeForce FX5200 or better
RAM: 256 MB
Hard Disk Space: 2GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP or better
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 or better
Video Card: GeForce 6200 or better
RAM: 512 MB
Hard Disk Space: 4GB

Music

Digimon Masters Online Music & Soundtrack

Additional Info

Digimon Masters Online Additional Information

Developer: MOVEGAMES (Aka Digitalic)
Closed Beta Date: August 30, 2011 - September 6, 2011.
Open Beta Date: September 27, 2011

Foreign Release(s):

South Korea: October 30, 2009

Development History / Background:

MoveGames originally launched Digimon Masters Online in South Korea on October 30, 2009 and announced a release for Western markets by WeMade Entertainment, Joymax's parent company. The game's launch in English was originally planned in 2010, but was delayed until late 2011 due to slow progress in localization. Digimon Masters Online uses the SDK game engine and is the first Digimon-themed MMO to launch in Western markets after the 2D Digimon Battle game. GameKing took over publication of Digimon Master Online on Novemeber 02, 2015 after Joymax encountered several server issues for months.