At first glance, the name of
Square Enix captures your eye and you will probably say that it might be another run-of-the-mill RPG game like Final Fantasy XXX, but much to my surprise, the game is nowhere near it. When Square Enix and
Jupiter (the group that created
Kingdom Hearts for PS2) decided to create another game, they had created something that is an out-of-the-box experience that only the Nintendo DS console can pull off.
The World Ends With You may be one of the best games that came out this year, but it still has the elements of memorable RPGs out there. The loner protagonist, the bubbly love interest, another boy with a bad-ass image then add another mysterious person and a surprising ending. But what stands out from this game is the awesome gameplay that challenges your eye coordination and fashion sense.
The game starts with Neku Sakuraba, the protagonist who apparently hates everyone and prefers to be alone. He wakes up in a different Shibuya and monsters called Noise come out from nowhere to kill him. There he meets Shiki Misaki, a wannabe fashion designer and always trying to make Neku to open up to her. There he learned all of the player's objective in winning the Repears' game: to get a 2nd chance in life and failures are to be erased. The game is composed of 3 chapters: "Shiki Chapter", "Joshua Chapter" and "Beat Chapter". Each player in the Reapers' Game should have a partner or else they will perish.
The story might be shallow at the start as Neku is too introverted and it might hinder the growth between him and his partner, but as the game
progresses, you will see changes in him that makes you appreciate
everything that has happened.
The battle system of The World Ends With You is one-of-a-kind: a combination of d-pad (or the ABXY pad for left
handed people) and the touch screen of the bottom; as these actions control both Neku and his active partner. A combo puck is being passed back and forth the 2 screens as Neku and his active partner juggle it to achieve higher combo for a deadly finish, and more experience.
The battle system might be confusing at first as too much information might be given but nothing makes sense, but the game encourages players to take it one step at a time, until you're certain that you can take on the tougher and weird Noise. But one thing is for sure, this game is designed for hardcore players who will be able to follow through the gameplay quickly.
The battles consist of player-chosen encounters. The player may scan the
area for fights at any time. While battling, Neku and his partner's HP is shared. Once both HP
is depleted, the game is over and players have the option to try the
battle again or flee.
Pins are also scattered throughout Shibuya and can be bought in shops. These can further enhance Neku's abilities and can be exchanged for Yen. Abilities range from healing a certain amount of depleted HP to bubbles that bounces from enemies and the wall or shouting at the microphone to release sound waves that can disorient enemies. Some of the pins can evolve (yes, like Pokemon -- gotta catch them all) and levels up after each fight. Food and Clothing are also available in the stores to add stats and synchronization between partners.
Fashion also plays a gigantic role in The World Ends With You, with
each district in the game having preferred brands. Preferred brands in pins and clothing can double the stats and abilities of the characters, but if you do not pay attention to these little details, it might be your end as you know it. You can also influence the preferred brands by wearing it every time you fight in a district.
In addition, a level slider is added in the menu that lets you boost the drop rate of pins after battling the Noise. The only sacrifice is that your HP will decrease as you battle but the pins are easily acquired after can be sold or are needed for a certain quest. Difficulty and the controls of your partner can also be changed to suit your game style.
Visually the game is extraordinary, making use of moving manga panels
and dual-screen cinematic presentation. The only let down is that characters look like characters for Kingdom Hearts -- minus Disney of course. But still, the shifting of character portraits recreates the manga feel.
Sounds are also not in the normal context here, as it includes a wide variety of music with the influence of Hip Hop and Electronica genre. Additional music can be purchased in stores so the music is never the same when battling and moving around.
A mini-game called Tin Slammer is incorporated in the diverse world of The World Ends With You. You can challenge other players for the friendly battle of Pins. Another multiplayer asset is the Mingle Mode wherein you can setup a shop for other players to buy your merchandise and can see how far is the player already in the game. Although the multiplayer options are not the strong side for this, it's a welcomed addition to the game.
The World Ends With You boasts amazing creativity and challenges the preconception on what a RPG should be. The amazing factor of this game is the level of customization that a player can do. From battling the Noise to what to eat and wear for the day can be changed with a single flick in the touch screen. Not only Sqaure Enix and Jupiter created one of the best games for DS but one of the best RPG to date. It can stand at par with the Legend of Zelda and the Final Fantasy series.
