The World Ends with You starts off with unlikely hero Neku waking up in the iconic Shibuya crossing. With no memory of how he got there, it’s made pretty clear that from the outset that Neku is an individual who doesn’t want to anything to do with the world around him. However his unwanted entry into ‘The Reapers game’ forces him to join with other player or face erasure. You’ll be glad Neku was forced into this do or die game, because it results in a gaming experience that is immensely deep and satisfying; The World Ends with You is an experience like no other.
And it’s what the RPG market needs, all those turn based battles and random encounters were starting to feel stale. TWEWY avoids the same old game play by introducing a new battle system that is, while daunting at first, turns out to be one of the most rewarding systems to play in a long time. As Neku is partnered with another individual, a battle takes place on the two DS screens; partner at the top and Neku at the bottom. Neku is given pins with special abilities, and the player must perform different manoeuvres with the stylus to activate these abilities, from drawing horizontal and vertical lines on the enemies to tapping the screen repeatedly to fire projectiles. Later pins may also require the player to shout into the mic to activate a soundwave in game, the louder the shout, the more damaging the soundwave.
So while all this is happening on the bottom screen, Neku’s partner is busy attacking at the top of the screen. The player is required to use either the directional pad or face buttons in order to attack. Take into account that there’s already a fair amount of action going on in Neku’s screen and it makes for a pretty hectic battle. While a bit overwhelming at first, it soon becomes a frantic battle to defeat the ‘noise’ quickly and with as much efficiency as possible, the player given a rating at the end of each battle that determines the amount of experience they gain for Neku’s pins. It’s a refreshing change from the usual turn based battle seen in JRPGS, and makes grinding a lot of fun. Yes, grinding a lot of fun. In fact it won’t even feel like grinding, you’ll feel like repeatedly scanning for enemies to level up your pins to its maximum capabilities.
It’s important I spend two paragraphs on the battle system, because it is one of the most unique and enriching systems seen in RPGs. Why should such a crucial element of this genre be such a bore? If it’s integral to the experience, make it interesting and fun to play. TWEWY passes the test with flying colours.
The game also takes its setting and heavily integrates it into the gameplay. Set in Shibuya, the ‘trend capital’ of Japan, TWEWY takes the tried and true factor of armour in RPGS and not only modernizes it, but makes it a crucial element to success. As Neku and co. pass through several districts, the popular trends in clothing changes accordingly and directly impacts on the effect it has when entering a battle. Wear clothing that is popular with the district and you’ll be guaranteed an attack boost, conversely, wear something that is ‘not in fashion’ and expect to do less damage. It also applies with pins too, so there is much more planning required when facing a large scale battle. Thankfully, there are plenty of shops spread around Shibuya so there is never a shortage of what to wear. In short, it’s a system that goes beyond the normal ‘armour and weapons’ used in other RPGS, rather it takes into account it’s setting and story.
Speaking of which, the story in TWEWY is simply put, amazing. As mentioned before, Neku is not one to associate with the world around with him. Playing in a game that forces him to make pacts with other players in order to survive presents an interesting theme about trust and reliance on others into the game. It also deals with identity and the dichotomy between individuality and conforming to social stands in order to survive, evident with the aspect of wearing clothes that are ‘popular’ to gain an advantage. While Neku may appear to be the same amnesiac, emo grouch used in the last 50 RPG games, he slowly grows into an enjoyable character, one that you won’t resent for his qualities, but rather admire for the way he is portrayed as the game progresses. His allies and enemies are also central to the story, representing parts of the themes mentioned above, and subsequently making the story all the more involving. And while the title of the game may sound cryptic at first, it slowly becomes that it is the most fitting title for such a deep and involving game.
I haven’t even talked about the art and sound design in this game, which along with the rest of the game, is amazing. Art design takes its cues from an influence of Anime/Manga and graffiti culture, resulting in a highly stylised game that fits in with the Shibuya setting. Districts differ greatly from this style, from the skyscrapers of the 104 building to the rich greys of the Station underpass to the tagged walls of Udagawa. They all help to avoid the game ever feeling boring or stale; it almost feels like each district in Shibuya has its own character and emotions, with the only similarities being the same animation sprites used for the commuters of the city. The music is also quite memorable as well, with tunes ranging from pop to rock to rap all crammed into the game. And they sound great, with each song that plays throughout the game never growing old. The great thing is that the songs can be bought from various shops in the game and listened to in the menu.
There’s a lot of passion put in this game. From the unique art design to the battle system to the deep and enriching story and beyond, The World Ends with You speaks of devotion and dedication from a team that attempted to make their game stand out in a genre that is growing a bit stale. The end result is one of the best DS titles out there, and possibly one of the best RPGS in recent memory. In short, don’t miss it for the world.
PROS
- Deep, involving story
- Gameplay with plenty of depth
- Unique and fitting art and music
CONS
- Text can get a tad repetitive when repeated game overs are experienced
Resulting in a score of:
9.5/10
