The Prologue of Digimon Survive is a tutorial for the combat and visual novel segments before moving into the story's core. This first part isn't particularly tough but serves as an excellent introduction to the World and characters.
Digimon Survive's Prologue is a surprisingly lengthy series of events with plenty of areas to explore. This guide will explain where to find everything there is to find while completing the Prologue of Digimon Survive.
How To Complete the Prologue of Digimon Survive
The Beginning
The game opens with a boy and a girl, pursued by mysterious monsters and defended by equally strange monsters. As they face off, the game enters its first combat section, which also serves as a tutorial for the game's combat system.
Some important things to remember from this tutorial are the ability to see the damage and chance to hit (along with the chance of a counterattack) at the top of the screen when selecting a target, the importance of facing the enemy and not giving them a chance to strike from behind, and the bonus damage inflicted when attacking from behind. These elements are key when fighting in the future.
After one turn of combat, the story will progress automatically as the boy (Haru, as the dialog reveals) is shoved into a portal by his sister (Miyuki). Miyuki is then dragged into the darkness by a horrifying mass of grasping hands as her brother watches, unable to help as the portal drags him away from her.
The Real World
After this horrifying sight, players are greeted by the opening cutscene, which introduces many of the main characters as they begin their day. A strange landslide is reported, and an old man is seen surrounded by glowing red eyes while the school group prepares for their trip to a nearby landmark. In a dilapidated school building, the brother and sister from the tutorial are seen as Miyuki sings a familiar song.
After the cutscene, players are sent into another visual novel segment, where they are introduced to the protagonist, Takuma, along with Minoru and Aoi, his classmates. The first choice of the game is then presented, allowing players to either "Ask Aoi about our plan" or say, "I'll check things out." As the game indicates via the tutorial, this decision can influence the player's affinity with either Aoi or Minoru.
Choosing to "Ask Aoi about our plan" will raise affinity with Aoi while choosing to say "I'll check things out" doesn't raise anyone's affinity. Since affinity will eventually help to unlock evolutions and also improves battle backup from that character, raising affinity with Aoi here is always a good call.
Players can easily jump to the save screen and make a save at any point during a visual novel sequence by pressing Y on Nintendo Switch, Square on PS4/PS5, X on Xbox One (or Series X/S), or V on PC.
After the decision is made, Minoru will bring up the rockslide, pointing out how close it is to the landmark they're meant to be visiting today. As Aoi wonders aloud if their plans for the day are still on, her thoughts are interrupted by Shuuji, who is acting as a chaperone on the trip. While he's rather forceful about it, he indicates to everyone that the trip is still going ahead. Minoru probably has a point about him.
The group sets off, reaching a path flanked by cherry blossoms in bloom. Players are quickly offered a second decision, this one allowing the first chance to gain a karma stat.
The three karma stats, Moral, Harmonious, and Wrathful, represent Takuma's general attitude and manner of handling situations and will affect a number of elements of the game later on, including Agumon's evolutions and what routes will become available at the game's branching point. The table below indicates the effects of each choice here, but on a first playthrough, players should probably just choose whatever feels right and let the game's story unfold.
I'm glad we came here. | Moral +1 |
We should hurry on ahead. | Harmonious +1 |
Can we take a breather? | Wrathful +1 |
Shortly after this choice, Minoru will point out Saki and Ryo up ahead, and players are introduced to the pair. Saki is delighted by the beautiful sights all around them and does her best to get Ryo in the mood too, but unfortunately, Ryo is a bit of a grump. This is followed by the first opportunity to use the exploration controls, which allow players to select people and objects around a visual novel scene to talk to or investigate them.
This is done by targeting them with the cursor, which is moved with the control stick on consoles and the mouse on PC, and then hitting the select button (X for Playstation, A for Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, Left-Mouse Button for PC) to examine or speak.
While not the case in this particular example, it's important to note that interacting with objects and characters other than those necessary to advance the story (Who are indicated with a red icon containing an exclamation mark when highlighted with the cursor) can often yield items or opportunities to raise affinity. These guides will identify these opportunities as they come up.
Saki and Ryo will rush off after both of them have been interacted with, and after speaking with both Aoi and Minoru, the player's group will follow suit, arriving at a police roadblock.
After arriving at a police roadblock, Minoru will ask what the deal is with the landmark they're meant to be visiting, and Aoi brings up the "Kemonogami," the "Beast Gods" that were apparently worshipped at the old shrine. Players should ask the police officer for information to proceed here, revealing that the road has been sealed due to the landslide and the path to the landmark is blocked. Players should speak to Aoi and Minoru next before asking the police officer about getting through again to proceed. As the group makes plans to head back, they overhear Ryo and Saki speaking with a local girl about how the rockslides were "retribution from the Kemonogami."
The girl claims there's a shrine to the Kemonogami nearby and reveals that her name is Miu. Saki seems pretty interested in visiting the shrine, while Ryo is being his grumpy self. After a little convincing, Ryo agrees to tag along too, and Miu agrees to lead them to the shrine. Players are then given another choice that affects the Karma stats, this time choosing their response to Saki and Ryo heading off to this "Secret Shrine." The table below indicates the outcome of each option, though it doesn't change the fact that Saki, Ryo, and Miu rush off to the shrine.
Let them have fun. | Moral +0 |
Sounds Fun! | Harmonious +0 |
We have to stop them! | Wrathful +0 |
Strangely this choice, despite being color coded for the three Karma Stats, doesn't actually change any of the stats.
After a little discussion, the group follows Miu and the others toward the shrine, arriving at a tunnel.
Players will quickly discover from her reaction that Aoi doesn't care much for ghosts, and the dark tunnel certainly isn't helping her stay calm. After a little searching with no luck, Shuuji arrives looking for everyone. While he tries to call Saki and Ryo on his phone, Minoru brings up the Kemonogami again, and Aoi explains that they are "gods taking the shapes of beasts" whose legends are passed down in this area.
Unfortunately for the group, Shuuji had no luck calling Saki and Ryo, and so there is no other option but to head into the tunnel. After speaking with Aoi, Minoru, and Shuuji, the group runs into a boy looking for his little sister. He describes her as "Timid, and needing protection." Despite this sounding nothing like the girl players encountered earlier, it quickly becomes clear that he means Miu!
The boy, revealing his name is Kaito, offers to search for Miu and the others with the group, but the discussion is quickly halted by a sudden snowfall in the midst of spring. As it kicks up into a blizzard, the group has no choice but to shelter in the tunnel.
Players are now presented with another Karma choice, allowing them to focus on information about the tunnel, point out how cold it is, or show concern for Aoi, who is clearly shaking.
Is this still being used? | Moral +1 |
Aoi's Shaking... | Harmonious +1 |
The tunnel is cold! | Wrathful +1 |
A short way into the tunnel, the group finds a sacred rope in the tunnel. This indicates that the shrine is up ahead somewhere, but there isn't much time to discuss it as the storm grows worse, and the group rushes onward to look for the others. Strangely, as they emerge back into the forest on the other side of the tunnel, there is no sign of the storm. Aoi makes the observation that it's as if it didn't snow at all on this side of the tunnel.
Adding to the strangeness, both Minoru and Aoi recognize the crimson flowers as spider lilies, which only bloom in the autumn. After investigating the spider lilies and speaking to Aoi, who has a bad feeling about the whole area, the group moves onward towards the shrine. Kaito explains that the locals always tell people not to visit the shrine. Investigate the shrine building to progress here, and Minoru will begin taking pictures of the strange patterns inside. These appear to be images of the "Kemonogami." Shuuji will, perhaps understandably given the serious situation, reprimand Minoru for losing focus here. Players are then given another choice.
Let him have his fun. | Moral +1 |
Enough photos | Harmonious +1 |
Take more over here! | Wrathful +1 |
Regardless of the player's choice here, Kaito will quickly get the group back on track (mostly). Aoi will speculate that this shrine was the landmark the school group were meant to visit today, and Kaito will point out that locals say people are "Spirited Away" here.
The game then enters its first "Exploration" phase. These phases allow players to move between different areas using the area map and explore them using the cursor. It is often worth exploring the areas that aren't marked with exclamation marks first, as locations with exclamation marks contain events that progress the story and could lock players out of optional events at the other locations when triggered. During Exploration, players can open the map by pressing the left trigger on their controller, allowing them to move to other areas.
Speaking to Kaito in the Red Spider Lilly Forest and then heading back to the shrine to speak with Minoru will progress the story here. Kaito is understandably worried about his sister, while Minoru's slightly inappropriately timed photography spree has yielded unexpected results. Players are now introduced to the phone camera, a vital mechanic throughout the game which allows Takuma and the others to see things that are invisible to the naked eye. By looking for spots where the camera glitches out and hitting the interact button, players can examine hidden objects and reveal all manner of secrets.
Minoru then spots a smaller hidden shrine off in the distance and takes off, forcing the group to chase after him to the Inner Shrine Ext. Even Kaito has no clue what this place is, but the group quickly agrees that Miu and Saki would definitely have gone inside without a second thought, assuming they found the place. Kaito charges on ahead into the shrine, and the player is once more given a Karma choice.
Can't lose track of him! | Moral +2 |
Don't go alone, Kaito! | Harmonious +2 |
Let's split up to look! | Wrathful +2 |
Despite the choice made here, however, the group will stick together and head into the Inner Shrine. The walls are lined with murals of great monsters, likely the Kemonogami Kaito and Miu mentioned, though Kaito is quick to remind the group that there are more important things to worry about here, like the fact that they've still seen no sign of the others.
Takuma is then prompted with "What should we focus on here?" leading to the following choices.
Let's go farther in. | Moral +1 |
Find the others. | Harmonious +1 |
What's this shrine? | Wrathful +1 |
Shortly after this decision, the group runs into an old man in the shrine. He explains that he is a researcher of the Kemonogami faith in the region and a Professor of History at a nearby university. Kaito heads back outside to keep looking for Miu while the rest of the group sticks with the Professor to take a quick look around the shrine. Speaking to the Professor here progresses the story, and the Professor mentions the legend of being "Spirited Away" when spoken to, claiming that they are no mere legend.
Apparently, it used to be a custom to offer children to the beast gods as sacrifices, allegedly to ensure the harvest or prevent disasters. Despite this, the children were apparently taken away somewhere, unharmed. The Professor is seeking a scientific explanation for the continued disappearances over the years and encourages the group to examine the murals. Players should take his advice and perhaps look for a few familiar faces on the walls if they're familiar with the franchise.
Speaking to the Professor will cause him to translate the text on the left wall, which he believes says "Agumon," how curious. The group's investigation is quickly interrupted by the arrival of a panicked Miu, who reveals she was startled by "some creep" and ran for it. A scream from Saki in the distance quickly tells the group where everyone else is.
Emerging from the Inner Shrine into a thick fog, the group sees Saki and Ryo under attack by a creature enshrouded in shadow. Its eyes glow a sinister red. Kaito arrives, and the group is reunited at last. The game offers only two choices this time.
"Run while you can!" or "Get closer and talk." Both options ultimately lead to the group getting surrounded by dozens of monsters before an earthquake opens the ground to swallow the group whole.
Another World - The Forest and Shrine
This section of the Prologue begins with the game's full opening, introducing all the characters and their soon-to-be partners too. We also see the Professor, Haru, and Miyuki. Takuma awakens in what appears to be the same forest from earlier, seemingly separated from the others by the fall. Investigate every available spot in this area to progress. Takuma will then hear a noise and run, somehow arriving back at the shrine where they were attacked previously.
Hearing the noise of something moving in the undergrowth, the player is presented with the choice of either Jumping at it or moving closer carefully. Either way, they quickly discover that there is, apparently, nothing there. The player is then presented with three options, each of which will affect one of the Karma stats.
What did Minoru say? | Moral +1 |
Keep calm and wait... | Harmonious +1 |
Go right on up to it! | Wrathful +1 |
Takuma will shortly afterward remember Minoru's discovery about the camera regardless, allowing him to catch a glimpse of something in the grass. In order to track down the creature, Takuma will need to search the spot he was just looking at with the camera again once the player regains control. Once it runs away, players should check the spot furthest to the left to spot it again, and finally check the spot just to the right of the previous spot to meet Koromon. A couple of awkward introductions later and a spooked Takuma flees back towards the forest, where he is attacked by one of the monsters from earlier. The player is presented with three choices on how to handle this.
Wait and see. | Moral +1 |
Run Away! | Harmonious +1 |
Stand and Fight! | Wrathful +1 |
Regardless of the choice made, Takuma takes a hit from it, and Koromon returns to try and help. He quickly gets beaten badly by the monster, and Takuma has to make a choice about how to help it.
Yell to distract it. | Moral +1 |
Protect Koromon! | Harmonious +1 |
Gotta Attack | Wrathful +1 |
While Takuma's actual strategy doesn't help much, his spirit gives Koromon the power to Digivolve. Agumon enters the fray in the game's second fight, a relatively straightforward one-on-one against Gotsumon. The game provides a second tutorial here, and while Gotsumon is mildly fire-resistant, he still proves no threat to Agumon. He also drops a Potency Crystal, which can be used to raise both of Agumon's attacks stats a little when equipped. The game provides a quick tutorial on items and the field guide here, allowing the player an opportunity to equip said crystal before the story continues.
Agumon supplies some helpful information about the sheer volume of potential monstrous health hazards Takuma and the others might face going forward and then joins Takuma in looking for his friends. Luckily, a nearby scream makes it easy to work out which direction Minoru is in as the screen fades and the Prologue ends.
Digimon Survive was released on the 29th of July 2022 for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
