I have played monster taming games since I was a child, and heard about this game a few years ago when the Pokemon drought was in full swing. I bounced off it the first time, as I found the difficulty too inconsistent and the story's pacing takes a long time to get going, especially in Cyber Sleuth. There is a LOT of dialogue in this game, an entire visual novel's worth or more, and a lot of it is filler. The characters don't leave a great first impression, and honestly neither do the combat mechanics. On that front, I will simply say that if you want to enjoy this game mechanically, I strongly recommend downloading the "General Rebalance Mod" on gamebanana to give yourself a more interesting gameplay experience. Otherwise, one type of Digimon team can solve all your woes, though building a team through most of the story is fun up until you get the game-breaking ones.
Playing Time Stranger for about 12 hours has radically changed my perspective on CS/HM. It's true that I bounced off CS/HM the first time I played it, but there was something about it that kept drawing me back in. It's there in the good character moments I wasn't paying attention to the first time around, it's there in the twists that are hinted at but genuinely well-executed, and it's there in the plot that slowly boils until all hell breaks loose. It's there in Hacker's Memory, one of the better JRPG stories I've ever played, which outshines Cyber Sleuth and Time Stranger both by a massive margin.
I think I'd say that in the end what separates CS/HM from TS is that it is a much more introspective experience. It asks you to reflect on what you believe about how people present themselves in a world that is increasingly online, and how even Digimon are an extension of that sense of identity. It shows us how online spaces can both empower and strip us down, and shows the best and worst of humanity. Some of the character writing still has very anime-y style and tropes, but it's not completely unaware of this and it doesn't detract from the game's better moments.
In the end, Cyber Sleuth is still very much a slow burn that asks for some serious patience from its audience. But I think for many people, the payoff is worth the effort, especially if you're looking for something fairly relaxing to play in the gameplay department. It's pretty grindy on Hard mode, but the normal difficulty makes it easy to coast along with your favorites and just enjoy the story. For what it's worth, I think the Digimon mechanics are just a touch better in CS/HM compared to TS because learning abilities is tied to your Digimon and those abilities can't be swapped around like in TS, so if you want a Wind Digimon to learn an Earth move, it is often a lengthy process (but still possible) to get your Wind Digimon to the point they can evolve into an Earth type that learns those moves, which gives your monsters a much better sense of identity. Some late game balance issues sadly make some mons much better than others, hence the need for the balance mod, but for the most part your team building choices feel meaningful.
Especially given the price difference, I'd say this game is much better value than TS, despite being nearly a decade older. It frequently goes on sale for 80, 90% off and you can buy it for less than a fast food meal. And when it is a better overall experience, that makes it a no-brainer in my book on which game to choose.
