Digimon Survive month 1 edition is still in the honeymoon phase of its official launch window, and the general consensus is that Bandai Namco is on to something interesting. For those who want to know what kind of game is Digimon Survive, the simple truth is that it is decidedly not a monster-collecting game. Indeed, whereas titles such as Pokemon, TemTem, or the more recent and admittedly awesome Coromon play out with a straight face, this isn't the case with Survive.

Instead, Bandai Namco has built something new and potentially unique. A hybrid visual novel and tactical RPG set in a mysterious world filled with dangerous monsters and deadly battles, Digimon Survive leverages the Digimon IP in a way no previous Digimon game could. We've talked about that already, however. Today, this article aims to provide you with a Digimon Survive Month 1 edition explanation. Namely, what the Digimon Survive Month 1 edition is, what it includes, and if it's something that might interest you.

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What is Digimon Survive Month 1 Edition?

With a slight twist to traditional pre-order bonuses, the way Digimon Survival Month 1 special promotion works is that anyone who placed a pre-order on Digimon Survive or purchases the game during the first month of its release - as of July 29 - gets access to a special piece of content that is otherwise inaccessible. Now, while we did mention this was a somewhat unique approach to early access content, it's not entirely new for Bandai Namco.

Namely, the publisher has previously offered similar deals with some of its prior releases. This means that there's precedent for how Digimon Survive Month 1 content works, giving us a sense of what to expect out of this game's post-launch scheduling.

What's included as part of Digimon Survive 'Month 1' DLC?

Since there's really no room for cosmetics and other assorted customizations in Digimon Survive, Bandai Namco has opted for a different approach as part of the Digimon Survive Month 1 edition. Drum roll... Digimon Survive presents... a free monster Digimon! Specifically, it's the legendary Virus Reptile - Guilmon. This iconic free monster is currently locked as an additional and optional piece of Digimon Survive Month 1 content. This means that, by default, it is an extra monster and not a part of the base Survive experience.

As the title implies, Digimon Survive Month 1 content is provided to every buyer during the first month at no additional charge. Neat stuff, right? Note, however, that the free monster Guilmon won't be available right away. Indeed, players will unlock it only after they've completed the Equipment tutorial section, which is about an hour into the game.

Will Digimon Survive Month 1 content be available after August?

If you don't see yourself getting the game right away and still want free monsters like Guilmon, don't worry! Bandai Namco releases extra bite-sized Digimon Survive Month 1 DLC packs later down the line.

Indeed, Digimon are crucial elements of Digimon Survive. They are genuine characters and have lots of insight to share during your adventure. It's exceedingly improbable, therefore, that Bandai Namco would permanently lock the extra monster Guilmon, or other free monsters, behind an exclusivity gate. This makes us almost positive that the extra monster Guilmon will be released later on.

Are there plans for future Digimon Survive DLC?

The existence of Digimon Survive Month 1 DLC has some interesting implications. The most obvious is that Digimon Survive could technically receive more DLCs and expansion packs in the future. Bandai Namco hasn't chimed in on whether this will actually happen or not, however.

With just over 110 Digimon available at launch, Survive is a far more focused game than its predecessor, Cyber Sleuth, ended up being. This is due to the game's focus, however. Whereas Cyber Sleuth is a straight-up monster-taming RPG, Survive is a narrative RPG. Combat is secondary to the story, for better or for worse. To that end, if DLC does drop later on, it seems unlikely that it would include a random assortment of popular Digimon just for the hell of it.

Instead, Bandai Namco may opt for fully-fledged expansion packs. With about 40-50 hours of playtime per route, it's easy to imagine that most Digimon fans will enjoy Survive for a good long while. Whether Bandai Namco decides to go all-in on this or not, of course, remains to be seen.

Closing Thoughts

The availability of Digimon Survive 'Month 1' content isn't, in fact, an issue. It's an additional goodie for those who are eager to jump onto the renewed Digimon train. Moreover, if you're a Guilmon fan, you're getting a spicy extra that wouldn't otherwise have been available in the game!

So, it's a simple setup that Bandai Namco seems to have generally pioneered as of late. This way, early adopters aren't punished for not placing a pre-order, and they still get a sweet extra that incentivizes playing the game during its launch window.

Of course, the really interesting bit lies in whether Bandai Namco embraces DLCs for Survive or not. On that topic, we'll have plenty more to share later on. In the interim, come and see for yourself what makes Digimon Survive one of the best RPGs we've had this year!

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