Calling all Pokemon fans, if you're looking for the best PC alternative Pokemon on the market, we've got a treat for you. First, though, let's take a look at the context we're working with! Just a few short years back, there were no PC alternatives to the Pokemon series to speak of. Finding a monster-catching game on PC was almost impossible, short of a few valuable outliers like Siralim. Several unofficial Pokemon titles did run around, though they were always a grey area of sorts. If you wanted a good high-profile monster-catching game, you were out of luck.

This brings us to the end of 2019 when a certain alternative Pokemon game turned up with very little hype. Specifically, we're talking about Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition. This PC re-release of two great Digimon games came at just the right time for fans of the genre. Sadly, not many seem to know about it.

Thankfully, that's where we come in. In the next couple of paragraphs, we'll be talking about what makes Digimon Cyber Sleuth such a phenomenal Pokemon competitor, and why it's well worth your time. Let us point you towards its store page, where it's available at a slight discount!

So there are good Alternative Pokemon Games on PC?

Well, now there are! There's the obvious choice for genre fanatics - Temtem - but there may be a number of reasons why some aren't interested in it yet. Perhaps it's too similar to the Pokemon formula? Early Access puts you off? If these and similar things made you look elsewhere, Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth PC is what you should be looking at.

Sitting at a positively lovely 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating on Steam, this game is nothing short of a sleeper hit in the making. Published by none other than Bandai Namco - one of our favorite publishers - this is a 2-in-1 sort of situation. The PC version of Cyber Sleuth includes both the original game and its massive standalone expansion, Hacker's Memory. This means you're getting two games for half the price of a contemporary AAA release. Deals hardly get better than this, we think.

Since this is a complete product, you don't need to worry about it potentially turning into something you don't like, or if a future content update will somehow mess things up. In Cyber Sleuth, you get a complete, finalized, and polished experience of high-profile monster-catching, training, and evolving. Isn't that precisely what you're looking for?

What makes Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth so great, then?

Over the years, Pokemon games have become synonymous with the monster-catching genre. You know what that package gets you, more often than not. A lightweight story to drive gameplay forward, a well-developed roster of creatures and abilities, and a mostly linear and straightforward experience until you reach the endgame. It's a well-established and time-tested formula, but changing things up is hardly an issue. Cyber Sleuth PC is different, you see.

This particular PC Pokemon alternative is a JRPG with a heavy narrative slant as well as an awesome battle system. Lots of exploration, plenty of side-quests - that sort of stuff. Its monster-collecting features are more in line with those of, say, Persona than they are with Pokemon. It works remarkably well in practice. Not only have you got just over 300 Digimon to collect, train, and hang around with, but you've also got plenty of side stories to enjoy alongside the main campaign. This isn't exactly standard fare in the genre! It won't be for everyone's taste, of course, but it's a great game regardless.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth PC ticks a whole lot of boxes, with that in mind. Not quite a Pokemon clone, it's a game that's brimming with interesting characters and stories that still offers plenty when it comes to the monster angle. Great writing makes itself known early on, and even if the Digimon themselves don't interest you that much, Cyber Sleuth can easily pull you in with its cool art style. Its most intriguing feature is, perhaps, that, unlike Pokemon, you won't be going through dozens and hundreds of creatures to find the one you wish to keep. Instead, you'll train the ones you have. Eventually, your Digimon will reach the pinnacle of their potential, which is a great accomplishment in the Digimon world!

Is this the Best Game like Pokemon on PC?

We're hard-pressed to say that Cyber Sleuth is the best PC Pokemon competitor, yes. It's got virtually everything the genre can offer, and then some, and it's a great game even if we disregard its specific niche. Unlike other titles in this particular arena, it's huge and sprawling and polished, and it's a game that will easily keep you busy for dozens of hours on end.

One more thing to keep in mind is that nostalgia will certainly play an important part in Cyber Sleuth's long-term appeal. If you have spent many of your childhood mornings watching the Digimon anime, there's hardly a better investment of time and money you could be looking at. Cyber Sleuth really is that good!

If we managed to get you interested in these two amazing games, keep in mind that you can nab Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition PC right here at 2Game. We're even offering a small discount to spice things up! Now go grab that Agumon!