So what made The World Ends With You such an endearing game? The game is, for a lack of a better term, fresh.
You start off the game as Neku in a fictional Shibuya (which as I understand is Japan’s trendiest place to dress like you’re insane, but stylishly so). You don’t really remember much of what happened before the game starts, but this isn’t your typical “main character has amnesia” storyline. You’re not the chosen one and you’re not out to save the world. You’re a self-centered person focused on simply surviving. I don’t really want to go too much into detail about the story or characters, since meeting everyone and trying to understand what’s happening is such a great part of the story, but I’ll suffice to say that it’s like nothing I’ve seen before. Just like a good book or movie, I just got dragged in and kept wanting to see what would happen next.
The gameplay isn’t like anything you’ve played before, especially not at the time of release. Personally I point to this game as the best example of what new innovations can come of Nintendo’s creative platforms. The game features real time battles, were you fight on two fronts; the top and bottom screens. The top screen houses your partner’s fight, which is controlled by the D-Pad, where as the bottom screen and main character relies on touch controls. Your attacks rely on Pins you collect. Each pin has its own function: some are attacks, some are passive, others heal, ect. Your attacks are activated by specific motions, such as tracing lines, circles, rapid movements, or even shouting into the mic. This makes every battle fun, intense, and exciting. That’s impressive considering so much of the game relies on that system, and it never gets old. And this is a long game with lots of re-playability. Don’t think you can handle two battles at once? Give it some time and you can, and it feels great. Otherwise, it’s not necessary, and you can have the AI handle the battle on the fly whenever you stop pressing buttons. Also like any good RPG, you have equipment which you buy at stores(AH! Shibuya makes perfect sense now) to improve both your stats and give you some nice effects. Besides leveling, you can also eat to improve your attack, defense, and Bravery (the stat which allows you to equip clothes).
The soundtrack fits the Shibuya setting, and it’s great for what it is. It’s not your typical orchestral soundtrack, but that’s what makes it memorable. I don’t really care for music from across the Pacific, but this game makes it work
Again, if you haven’t yet, you owe it to yourself to at least give this game a chance, especially now that it sells for 20 dollars US on Amazon. The game has aged so well, and that’s thanks to its uniqueness. If this game had been released today instead of in 2008 the reviews would have been just as positive as they were. Thinking back to this game only brings back warm fuzzy memories, and from a heartless monster like me, that’s saying something dramatic.