As a visual novel, it's rather predictable that Digimon Survive would have multiple routes to follow. There are, in fact, four different routes that you can take and five different endings in all, and you'll probably want to experience them all if you want to get the most out of the game.
Throughout the game, you'll make many, many decisions that correspond to one of the game's three Karmas - Moral, Wrathful, and Harmony. As you'd expect, these Karmas correspond to the game's three main routes, with the 'true' ending only being available in New Game Plus.
This guide will have serious spoilers for Digimon Survive past Chapter 3. Proceed at your own risk!
How To Choose Your Route
As mentioned previously, during a normal New Game there are three normal routes - Moral, Wrathful, and Harmony.
The game's route splits during Part 8 when you're given a certain choice. The prompt for the choice (which appears at the top of the screen) is: (But given all that, what do I want to do?)
There are four possible choices at this point, but only three of them will be available to you. The choices available to you are dictated by your Karmas - you can choose the routes corresponding to your two highest Karmas. This means that you're completely locked out of choosing the route that matches your lowest Karma.
For example, if you have 25 Moral Karma, 42 Wrathful Karma, and 30 Harmony Karma, you'll have access to the choices that put you on the Wrathful and Harmony routes, but not the Moral route.
In addition to those routes, you'll also be able to choose a fourth choice that leads to a short, Bad Ending. We don't consider this a route on its own.
The four possible choices are as follows:
- Be true to my friends. - leads to the Moral route.
- Stay with Agumon. - leads to the Wrathful route.
- Save the world. - leads to the Harmony route.
- Never go back. - leads to the Bad Ending.
Once you've made your choice, you're locked into a route and you should start seeing significant differences in Part 9.
How To Unlock The Truthful Route
The golden route, also called the Truthful Route, is only available on New Game Plus and has certain requirements. Specifically, you will need to increase your Affinity with Ryo.
With enough affinity, Ryo will survive the encounter at the end of Part 3 - if you don't raise it high enough by this point, you're barred from unlocking the Truthful Route and will be forced onto one of the game's regular routes.
There are ten opportunities to do this:
|
Chapter |
Event |
Dialogue Selection |
|---|---|---|
|
Chapter 1 |
Talk to Ryo in the Classroom during Exploration |
(Ryo looks so stressed out. What can I do?) Choose 'Raise his spirits.' for 5 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 1 |
Talk to Ryo in the Classroom during Exploration |
(Is it all right to leave Ryo like this?) Choose 'He's in danger here.' for 5 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 2 |
Choose between Ryo, Minoru, and Aoi at the start of the chapter |
Choose Ryo for 5 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 2 |
Talk to Ryo in the Classroom during Exploration |
(Ryo's been using his phone the whole time.) Choose 'Phones don't work.' for 5 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 2 |
Talk to Ryo twice in the Classroom during Free Time |
(Ryo looks pretty worried...) Choose 'He's not wrong.' for 5 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 2 |
Talk to Ryo in the Woods during Exploration |
(Maybe I should tease him just a little?) Choose 'Naw, leave him be.' for 5 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 2 |
Talk to Ryo at the Shrine during Exploration |
(Ryo seems really nervous) Choose 'I'll agree with him.' for 5 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 2 |
Talk to Ryo at the shrine during Exploration again later |
(So, what should I do?) Choose 'Talk to him.' for 5 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 3 |
Talk to Ryo during Free Time |
(What should I do about Ryo?) Choose 'Force him to engage!' for 7 Affinity. |
|
Chapter 3 |
Choose between Ryo, Minoru, and Ryo shortly after comforting Saki and Shuuji. |
Choose Ryo for 4 Affinity. |
If you complete all these opportunities, you'll have a grand total of 53 Affinity with Ryo, which is far more than you need to keep him alive at the end of Part 3.
The amount of Affinity absolutely required to save Ryo isn't known, but you can definitely save him with at least 35. Luckily, you can get 35 Affinity with Ryo without missing out on anything else if you follow the instructions above.
If Ryo survives Part 3, you're locked onto the Truthful Route. When you reach the usual route split choice during Part 8, you must choose any option that isn't 'Never go back.' - that choice will still lead to the Bad Ending.
This does mean that if Ryo is saved, it is impossible to follow any other route. If you're on New Game Plus and wish to choose one of the traditional routes, make sure you don't raise your Affinity with Ryo too high.