The World Ends With You
Score: 95% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Jupiter Media: Cartridge/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action/ RPG
Graphics & Sound: The World Ends with You is a bit of a departure from the RPG genre. While this creates a refreshing and compelling experience, some of the departures do little more than complicate things, throwing a few hurdles in the game's path. The game's art style is one of its more compelling aspects and, if nothing else, will grab your attention. Characters are presented in the same signature style used in Kingdom Hearts, only with a slightly more "trendy" urban feel that compliments the game's tone. Everything in the game is composed of hard, thick black lines and bold colors, giving the presentation an almost graffiti-like appearance. It's a stand-out feature for sure, especially as you run into enemies who, in addition to sharing the game's graffiti style, also pull in elements typically found in tribal tattoos. Though the two styles might seem different from the outset, they merge together nicely and create a bold visual presence. Sound is another area where TWEwY treads slightly new ground. Keeping with the game's trendy visuals, the background music is a mix of upbeat, electronic tunes typically reserved for Japanese shmups and lyric-filled pop. If you sit and listen to the lyrics, they sound goofy, though they still have a catchy hook and feel right at home with the rest of the game.
Gameplay: The World Ends with You is just as much a commentary on Japanese youth culture as it is a story; however, the social commentary is something that will probably be lost on most players, which can lead to a slightly confusing, if a bit contrived story for some players. As you progress through the game, things become a little clearer, even without the background knowledge. The story centers on Neku, a loner who finds himself stuck in the middle of Tokyo's Shibuya district, an area that is known for its busy crowds and leadership in fashion trends. Not long after waking up in the district, Neku discovers that he has been pulled into "The Reaper's Game", a seven day competition where players must complete tasks or risk being erased from existence. In order to survive, Neku is forced to bond with Shiki, a fashionista who is also a participant in the game. TWEwY is primarily an Action RPG, with a slight Adventure spin thanks to the daily quests. Each quest requires you to first find a red-hooded character who offers clues about your next mission. Most clues require you to scan the crowded streets of Shibuya to pick up other clues, eventually leading you to your objective. Sometimes the red-hooded characters will ask you to erase any enemies, called Noise, in the area before exiting the area. There are no random battles; instead you need to scan the area and touch one of the symbols floating around the area.
Difficulty: One really cool feature of The World Ends with You is the ability to adjust the game's difficulty mid-game using the LVG gauge. By adjusting the gauge, you can make the game easier or harder by adjusting your stats during battle. Ratcheting up the difficulty increases the amount of experience and money earned through combat, allowing you to equip more abilities or buy new clothes. Battles can also be linked together, which causes enemies to come in waves rather than in single encounters. Enemies become increasingly difficult during linked battles and damage carries over between rounds, though you'll earn better rewards by taking the risk. Even with certain safety nets in play, TWEwY can still offer a challenge. Playing with the game's setting, TWEwY forces you to pay attention to what you're wearing. In particular, you'll have to make sure you're wearing certain brands, which offer special abilities that can really help in battle. At the same time, wearing the wrong brands can hinder your efforts. However, you can actually influence what trends are popular by sticking to certain brands during battle. If you can manage to get a particular brand to the top of the trends list, you can unlock better abilities for your characters.
Game Mechanics: Combat is one of the game's more ambitious, yet troublesome, features. The World Ends with You makes use of both of the DS's screens during battle. All of Neku's fights take place on the bottom screen and uses the stylus to move around and activate abilities. Neku earns new abilities by equipping pins, each requiring a different gesture with the stylus to activate. For instance, dragging the stylus along the ground activates the Fire attack, while Lighting is triggered by tapping enemies. Although abilities have a limited charge, there are times where you might accidently use one when you mean to use another. While Neku battles on the bottom screen, your partner fights on the top one, which ends up complicating combat. Partners are controlled using the D-pad by hitting specific sequences to activate attacks. Paying attention to both screens as well as choosing attacks using two different control schemes can be pretty overwhelming. On the plus side, you can set your partner to fully automated, though you lose out on some nifty attack bonuses, such as team attacks and combos. During battles, Neku and your partner can bounce a green orb between them, further increasing their attack power. If you're able to get into a rhythm during a battle, you can bounce the orb between the two and really rack up the damage. However, doing so does require a little more attention. The only element that presents any problem for The World Ends with You is the combat system. Though ambitious, it can feel overwhelming and causes the game to feel a little more complicated than it probably should. Taken as a whole, the good aspects outweigh the bad, making The World Ends with You a must-play DS game.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Airport Mania: First Flight Gran Turismo 5 Prologue