The World Ends With You [DS]

The World Ends With You



In 2007, Square Enix released a game that appeared to be like no other. It was entitled 'It's a Wonderful World'. At first glance, the game appeared to be complicated and strange. This game later arrived in America, and many people were shocked to find how much of a hit it was.

The story in The World Ends With You is a strange one, yet also a fantastic one. It begins with a boy named Neku, who wakes up in the Scramble Crossing in Shibuya, with no memory of how he got there. Soon after waking up, he recieves a message from 'The Reapers', who give Neku a mission to complete. If he fails, he is erased. Neku also finds himself with a timer on his hand and a mysterious pin in his palm which lets him see the thoughts of others. Soon, Neku realises that nobody can see him - he is all alone...or so he thinks. Along the way, Neku meets many people, including Shiki, a girl who is extremely interested in fashion; Beat, a hothead who is the exact opposite of Neku; and Rhyme, a young girl with a heart of gold. The story in The World Ends With You is one part of the game which will always be remembered, as while it may seem complicated, it contains so many twists and turns you'll fall in love with the characters, Shibuya and the events of the plot.



The gameplay in The World Ends With You seems complicated and hard to learn, yet becomes easy when playing the game. The game is set in the district of Shibuya, which is split up into many different areas, such as the Scramble Crossing, where Neku finds himself at the start of the game, and the Statue of Hachiko, a gathering place celebrating the famous dog Hachiko (he's real too, folks: read the story on him! Or, if you're lazy, wait for the movie). The game is split up into Days, each where Neku has to complete a mission sent to him by the Reapers. If he fails these missions, he will be erased. Neku has 7 days to complete all 7 missions otherwise he fails. This is interesting as it limits you to the places you can go so you can get used to Shibuya, and also gets you thinking at times.

The game is mostly controlled with the stylus. You move the stylus around the screen to control Neku, tap the pin at the bottom to scan an area and more. However, battles is where the game really shines; it's also where controls can get hard. On the bottom screen, you control Neku, and you use a variety of different attacks depending on what pins you have equipped. These attacks use a variety of controls, such as tapping, rubbing, slashing, and blowing into the mic. On the top screen, you control your partner. Button combos will appear which you have to complete to attack. Completing combos right can eventually lead to Fusion Stars, which you can use for Fusion Attacks. You have to control both screens at the same time and master them to do well in the game. But don't worry: those of you experiencing problems can simply switch on the Auto-Fight feature to let the partner on the top screen be controlled by the computer. You can even set how long it takes for the computer to take over to help you learn.



The graphics for The World Ends With You are not 3D. Instead, it uses 2D sprites in a 3D environment made of 2D buildings and such. Despite this, it is still a great-looking game. The sprites look visually appealing, the grafitti-style environment gives off a modern yet rebellious feel and battles do not look too hectic. Cutscenes are hand-drawn as well as conversations, which are a really nice touch and show the emotions of each character clearly. They're not the best graphics on the DS, but they're excellent 2D graphics.

The sound is where the game truly shines. The music in this game is definetely some of the best you will hear on the DS, if not the best. It contains a mixture of rock tunes, soft songs and single-instrument tunes. These songs are so excellent you will find yourself pausing the game just to listen to these excellent songs. You can even buy the songs ingame to use for the pause menu, which is a nice touch. These songs fit the mood of the game perfectly: sweet songs are used for happy moments, a single instrument, such as a violin, is used for sad moments, and rock songs are used for expressing emotion. These songs are perfect for the moments they are played, and some may even make people cry!



Now, usually, I do not make any more points after this except for an overall point and scores, but I feel the need to talk about a major point in the game: the characters. Usually, in games, I do not really feel for the characters. Many games contain bland, boring characters that you do not care about. However, what makes The World Ends With You stand out is the interesting characters. Neku seems like the stereotypical 'I hate everything' character at first. However, the game shows this off in a really unique way which makes you really like Neku. Even the Reapers show excellent emotion and interest. For instance, Uzuki, a lower-rank Reaper, dreams of being promoted, so uses any tactics in her arsenal. She also has anger problems, which can show in her desires to be a Game Master.

Overall, The World Ends With You is an imaginative, thrilling and emotional game that is sure to make many feel sad, joyous and angry at many times throughout the game. The unique style of the game will bring people back in for more, even when they get stuck, and provides a desire to collect all clothing, pins and Noise for hours. Even those not interested in RPG's will want to have a go at this game, and those interested in RPG's will feel right at home playing this game.

Story: 10/10 - Probably the best story you will encounter on the DS, if not on a Nintendo system. With twists, turns and emotion, the story will keep everyone hooked.

Gameplay: 9/10 - A steep learning curve, but an enjoyable experience once you get used to how the game works.

Graphics: 9/10 - Excellent 2D sprites and great hand-drawn cutscenes makes the game look mind-blowing.

Sound: 10/10 - The game sounds absolutely amazing. Voices are excellent, music is phenomenal and emotion is put into every sound.

Value for Money - 10/10 - Worth every penny. Nowadays, you can find the game for half the retail price, which is a bargain, but even at full price it's worth it.

Overall (Not an average) - 9.3/10

Glossary:

It's A Wonderful World: The Japanese name for The World Ends With You.
Scramble Crossing: A large road crossing in Shibuya. It's an extremely busy place.
Shibuya: A district in Japan known for its shopping areas.
The Reapers: The bad guys in the game. They control the Noise, as well as areas people can go and missions.
Pin: An item which can be used for attacking. Certain pins have other functions.
Hachiko: A dog who is famous for being extremely loyal. Read up on him for more info!
Fusion Stars: Stars obtained for attacking well on the top screen. These are obtained via combos.
Fusion Attacks: Powerful attacks used when you have enough Fusion Stars. These attack most enemies.
Auto-Fight: A feature which lets you fight using just Neku, while the computer controls those on the top screen.
Game Master: The Reaper who controls the missions for the week.

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