I came into Digimon Story Time Stranger already excited. Trailers and previews gave me flashes of a Digimon game I once played during a summer at my relatives’ house. I spent every waking moment of those two weeks trying to beat it — though I never did.

I don’t even remember which Digimon World title it was, but I was hooked. My aunt used to call me out for playing before I’d even had breakfast. That memory stayed with me, and this new entry in the franchise instantly felt like a chance to relive it.

I’ve had less time than I’d like with the game since getting the review code, so think of this more as a review-in-progress. But I’ve played enough to know it’s worth talking about.

Time travel and the inferno

The story sends your protagonist eight years into the past. Your role is to unravel the events that led to the “Shinjuku Inferno,” a catastrophe that left the world in ruins.

Not rolling credits yet actually helps here since it keeps things spoiler-free. What I can say is that there’s enough happening in the early hours to keep you intrigued. Things ramp up gradually. The mystery of what caused the Inferno pushes you along, and the more you progress, the more you want to connect the dots.

The characters I’ve encountered so far didn’t immediately latch on to me. I couldn’t fully identify with or feel invested in them. That does dampen how eager I am to move forward with their arcs, but it doesn’t take away from the pull of the central mystery. The looming Inferno itself is strong enough to keep you curious.

The joy of collecting

The monster-collecting gameplay loop is the real hook here — it’s addicting and built for completionists.

You begin by picking your first Digimon partner. From there, the system opens up. Every time you battle a Digimon, you add to your scan percentage of that species. At 100% you can convert it into a new companion, but waiting until you’ve scanned 200% guarantees you’ll get the Digimon at its max possible stats.

Digivolution is the next big mechanic. Each Digimon has multiple evolution paths that depend on its stats and level. For example, a Koromon can evolve into Agumon, Guilmon, Dracomon, and more. This branching evolution system encourages experimentation. You can also go backward through de-Digivolution, which not only helps with strategic flexibility but also lets you work toward completing your full Digimon compendium.

If your roster starts to get crowded, you can fuse duplicates to enhance another Digimon or break them down into digital currency. It’s another loop that feeds back into progression.

With over 450 Digimon available, there’s more than enough here for players who love collecting, refining, and tweaking their party until it’s perfect. The loop is layered and rewarding — not just about “catching them all,” but about shaping the collection into something uniquely yours.

Strategy meets nostalgia

Combat in Digimon Story Time Stranger doesn’t try to be revolutionary, but it’s polished and layered enough to feel engaging. If you’ve played JRPGs from the late ‘90s and early 2000s, this will feel instantly familiar.

Dungeons are where you’ll encounter hostile Digimon. By pressing R2 (on PS5), you can attack first to gain the upper hand. If your party completely overpowers the enemy, you’ll defeat them instantly. Otherwise, you’ll be pulled into the turn-based battle arena.

The backbone of combat is the type triangle: Data beats Vaccine, Vaccine beats Virus, Virus beats Data. On top of that, elemental affinities add another wrinkle to keep you on your toes.

Your bond level with your Digimon plays a big role too. The closer you are to them, the more likely they are to perform quick follow-up attacks. These little assists can swing momentum in your favor and give combat a more dynamic flow.

There are also quality-of-life touches that stand out. You can swap party members mid-battle without losing a turn, which makes tactical adjustments painless. And with a flick of the right analog stick, you can speed up combat animations — a small feature that makes grinding far more bearable.

The system feels like a culmination of mechanics you might have seen in Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei. It’s not redefining the genre, but it knows what works and sharpens it in smart ways.

A Saturday morning cartoon come to life

What struck me most about Time Stranger is that it feels like playing a Saturday morning cartoon. From the colors to the tone to the music, the whole package captures that vibe.

The anime-inspired visuals are sharp and bright, with Digimon designs that pop. I also had a personal chuckle at the protagonist customization options — the red-haired male and short-haired female were exactly how I might’ve designed them myself.

The soundtrack deserves mention too. It changes with each location, sometimes even from room to room in the same house. Every track is thoughtfully matched to the scene and the mood.

There’s also optional DLC music. The pricing feels a little steep, but seeing Butter-fly from Digimon Adventure included was almost enough to convince me. It’s one of my all-time favorite anime songs, and hearing it in the game would push the nostalgia factor even higher.

Is Digimon Story Time Stranger your GameMatch?

Playing Digimon Story Time Stranger has felt like reliving that summer memory — the excitement of discovery, the satisfaction of raising Digimon, and the pull of wanting to see what comes next.

It isn’t trying to reinvent anything, and that’s part of its charm. Instead, it offers a polished, nostalgia-driven JRPG that rewards the time you sink into it. The story pulls you in even without a standout cast. The monster-collecting systems are rich and addictive. The combat strikes a balance between old-school comfort and modern convenience.

For me, it became a welcome contrast. I had just come from another game’s bloody revenge quest, yet I felt just as thrilled hopping into this time-traveling, monster-collecting adventure. One scratched my itch for grit. The other gave me wonder and comfort.

If you ever spent a summer glued to a Digimon game, this will take you back instantly. And if you’re new to the franchise, there’s more than enough depth here to keep you invested.

Verdict: It’s a Swipe Right.

Over ten years ago, I got my first car. It was a gift from my parents for graduating college: a humble 2013 Honda City. Over the years, it’s been through everything like dates, work events, long road trips, breakups. And it’s still going strong. There’s not much that beats the feeling of your first car.

Ten-and-a-half years since then, I got my hands on the BYD Seagull, the smallest vehicle in BYD’s lineup, and it feels oh-so-nostalgic. It’s like I got my very first car all over again.

Big things, small packages, and all that

Since this is BYD’s smallest car, you can’t really expect the usual eye-watering performance that BYD is so known for. That said, there’s still much to love about this small package — 75 of them, to be precise.

The BYD Seagull sports 75 horsepower and 135 Nm of torque. It’s around what you’d expect from a starter car, but the drive is still pretty smooth. The car’s speed is powerful enough for city driving, including sharp inclines and twisty turns. Steering is also buttery smooth. Even if you have to go through hours of Manila traffic, the Seagull is a comfort to drive.

During my short stint with the car, I drove through Taguig and Makati. Normally, this is a nightmare scenario for me. But with the Seagull, I didn’t get the usual back pain that I get from long drives.

Maybe not the suspension, though

Now, that said… I’m not a big fan of the suspension. On smooth roads, the Seagull is perfectly fine. However, I took this guy out during the height of the typhoon season, which also means potholes wherever you go.

You don’t really expect much from a small car, but this one was bumpy. It wasn’t too uncomfortable. If you’re used to smoother rides, though, the Seagull might give you a surprise.

There were also one or two times that I accidentally went through sharper potholes. (Sorry, BYD!) Now, those were painful. If you have this car, you’ll need to be more careful about what you put the car through. One wrong move, and you’re inflicting serious damage on the car.

An interior to make other starter cars weep

If you have an aversion for how tiny hatchbacks look, check out how the Seagull looks on the inside. The first thing that will stand out is the cushy leather seats. Normally, a seat this comfy has no business being in a starter car, but BYD makes it work. It looks and feels plush.

Besides the luxurious seats, the car has a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so I had no problem keeping my drive smooth. And yes, the screen rotates, as you’d expect from BYD.

Despite the digital console, it still has a bunch of analog controls — including climate and volume dials — laid on a cylindrical format. Not having normal buttons takes some getting used to, but I appreciate the tactile sensation, nonetheless. I didn’t have to fiddle around with screens for when I needed to have my eyes focused on the road.

Though small, there’s a lot of space for your things. When the rear seats are folded, the cabin can hold 930 liters of baggage. In a pinch, you can definitely use the Seagull for moving houses.

Finally, the car has USB ports, a panel for wireless charging, and vehicle-to-load plugs. If you get stuck in traffic, you won’t get anxiety from dying devices.

Range anxiety is real

Though your devices will likely get through the day unscathed, the actual drive might be more of a problem. The Seagull says that you can squeeze out around 300 kilometers from a single charge. I had trouble replicating this.

After only three days, the full battery fell to less than 20 percent. Critically, I wasn’t even driving somewhere far. For two of those days, I was driving only around Quezon City. It was only on the third day that I took it to Taguig and Makati. This was using a combination of the car’s Normal and Eco modes.

I didn’t have the car long enough to test it on a common work week. However, based on those numbers, it’s hard to imagine that the Seagull can last an entire week going back and forth two cities.

Much like other electric vehicles, this one has regenerative braking. According to the driver who brought the car to my house, you can charge the car by up to 10 percent with a single run on the Skyway. I wasn’t able to take this car myself to the Skyway, but I did try to replicate what he did on open stretches of road. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t replicate what he claimed. Of course, I’m not saying that he was lying, but there might be a sweet spot that I just couldn’t find.

If you’re savvier, you might be able to squeeze numbers closer to the promised 300 kilometers. But for my driving style, the efficiency was just fine.

Charging is thankfully easy

Range anxiety aside, charging the battery is easy, at least. At the time of my review, the cost of charging was around PhP 28 to PhP 35 per kilowatt. Via DC charging, PhP 500 got me 50 percent of the battery back in only around 40 minutes. Because the battery is so small, topping up after a long day isn’t too much of a chore.

Additionally, the car comes with a home charging kit. A single overnight charging session should get you up and ready for the coming day.

Is the BYD Seagull your GadgetMatch?

There are only a few things that a starter car needs to be. It doesn’t need to be flashy, luxurious, or expensive. All it needs to do is get the job done of taking you from point A to point B on a daily basis.

It’s also not expensive. It starts at PhP 898,000. It comes in three colorway options: Delan Black, Apricity White, and Sprout Green.

Now, if I got the BYD Seagull as my very first starter car, I would’ve been more over the moon that I already was with my 2013 Honda City. The hybrid offers you a decent helping of automotive technology. It makes for a comfortable daily drive.

It’s not a perfect vehicle by any means. There are still some aspects that I didn’t really love. But there are still a lot that I did. If I put myself in the shoes of a recent graduate, I would immediately think, “Wow, I want these features for my next car years down the road.”

For that, the BYD Seagull gets a Swipe Right for being an amazing starter car for new graduates and young professionals today.

SEE ALSO: Eclectic meets electric: The BYD Seagull charms with its rizz

As a working mom of two young children — with no helper at home — life often feels like a whirlwind. Between work, chores, and making sure my kids are cared for, finding time to breathe can be a challenge. That’s why the Yeedi S16 Plus has been a game-changer in our household. It doesn’t just clean; it gives me back precious time to focus on what truly matters — my family.

There are so many features I love about the Yeedi S-16 Plus, but here are my top seven reasons why it has become my reliable partner in homemaking:

1)  Powerful Cleaning

With 16,600Pa suction power and the BLAST Airflow Suction System, the Yeedi S-16 Plus is both efficient and surprisingly quiet. It easily captures dust, pet fur, and everyday messes from both hard floors and carpets. For me, this means a cleaner home and fewer allergy triggers for my kids — and that makes all the difference.

2) Triple Lift System

The Yeedi S-16 Plus automatically lifts its roller mop, side brush, and main brush as it moves across different surfaces. No more stopping to manually adjust settings! This prevents smearing on hard floors and keeps carpets dry, so I can let it do its thing while I focus on mine.

3) Self-Washing Mop

This feature has saved me countless hours. The OZMO roller instant self-washing technology continuously rinses itself during mopping, ensuring it isn’t just spreading dirty water around. Plus, with the OMNI Station’s hot-water washing, drying, and solution dispensing, I know my floors are truly clean and safe for little hands (and feet!) crawling around.

4) Smart Navigation

Thanks to its AIVI 3D 3.0 Omni-Approach Technology, this robot vacuum can identify and avoid obstacles in real time. It navigates corners and tight spots with ease, without constantly bumping into furniture or getting stuck. I love that I don’t have to clear every little thing from the floor before running it.

5) Adaptive Edge Cleaning

The TruEdge 2.0 Adaptive Edge Cleaning system ensures even corners and edges get the attention they deserve. The roller mop extends to reach tricky spots, providing maximum coverage without collisions — perfect for those hard-to-reach areas that normally need extra effort.

6) Designed with Kids and Pets in Mind

Between long hair (mine!) and pet hair, tangles used to be a nightmare. The Zero Tangle 3.0 Anti-Tangle System solves this by preventing hair from wrapping around the brushes. It even has a built-in child-lock mode, so my little ones can’t accidentally stop it mid-cycle.

7) Gentle Reminders

With so many things on a mom’s plate, I appreciate the app’s cleaning prompts and reminders. It tells me which parts need attention or maintenance, so I don’t have to keep track — the vacuum does it for me.

The Yeedi S16 Plus is a household companion

We think Levi the cat likes the Yeedi S16 Plus

Overall, the Yeedi S16 Plus isn’t just a vacuum; it’s a household companion. From deep cleaning to self-maintenance, it truly lightens my daily load and helps keep our home safe, clean, and cozy.

The Yeedi S-6 Plus is available on Amazon for USD 1,399.90 — and honestly, for the peace of mind and time it gives back, it’s worth every cent.