Thread: NEO: The World Ends With You (and an anime, too)

The World Ends With You is getting not only a sequel in 2021, but an anime adaptation of the original as well.
I'm really excited. I loves the first one, and bought Final Remix on the Switch. I loved the story and the way h.a.n.d actually utilized the Touch Screen controls well. The sequel does have me slightly worried, since its confirmed it will have 3D graphics, because I dont feel the game would work well with a 3D environment, but I'm optimistic.
And I'm EXTREMELY excited for the anime. 2021 is looking pretty alright lol.

I remember hearing about this game back when I played the DS. Maybe I'll emulate the Switch version eventually as I'm guessing that's the best port. It's probably one for the backlog at the very least.

Haven't played the original because it feels very Kingdom Hearts-y to me. I've heard good things about every aspect except for the battle system which people apparently loathe. I'll keep my eyes on this sequel for now.

Originally Posted by Zemekis

Haven't played the original because it feels very Kingdom Hearts-y to me. I've heard good things about every aspect except for the battle system which people apparently loathe. I'll keep my eyes on this sequel for now.

The battle system is very unique, but I actually love it. Il
TWEWY utilizes the touch screen for everything.
Neku, the protagonist, fights using pins, which you equip. Pins are activated in a variety of different ways.

• Some activate by "touching" Neku for a few seconds and releasing to slam a big ass sword on them.
• Some activate by touch the enemy and holding the cursor there to bombard them.
• Some have you tap empty space, Neku, or an enemy to shoot projectiles at them.
• Some have you grab items and smack enemies with them. (These are super situational depending on the battle area

The battle system takes a while to get used to, but I absolutely love it. It's a unique system that works really well and the game is structured around it. It reminds me of Kid Icarus: Uprising's combat system. Weird, kinda clunky, but the game is structure around it so it works.
The Switch version plays very similar to the DS version
In Handheld mode, but using the sensors in the Joycons in the docked version
It's funny you mention Kingdom Hearts, since Neku and a few other characters are in Dream Drop Distance. (Since Tetsuya Nemura worked on character design for both)
But that's the only real similarity to KH. Aside from Neku's weird ass outfit. Further proving Namura's fetish with belts and zippers.
The basic story is

You play as Neku Sakuraba. You wake up in Shibuya Crossing, and SUPRISE! You're dead. You have no idea how you died or anything about you except your name. You then find out you're in the "Reaper's Game" a game created by Reaper's for the recently departed. If you win, you can come back to life. But to play, you have to give up what's most precious to you. And for Neku, it's himself. His identity and his memories. He meets up with Shiki, who
Neku is initially distant with because he's an anti social goth butt munch. So you fight through the 7 days of the reaper games, solving their puzzles and beating down "Noise".

Because of the combat system, I'd advise against emulating it. I feel the combat would be extremely annoying with mouse and keyboard. I woul still recommend it.

Which genre would you say the game is a part of?

I don't think I will ever give TWEWY a try because of the touch controls. I have long been a staunch opponent to "gimmick controls" (quoting myself here) such as touch, motion, etc. Imo if there is a way in which the controls could be mapped to a button, then they should be. I probably would have played the original TWEWY if I hadn't heard such awful things about the way in which it controls. I have heard high praise for its characters & story however, which is why I popped my head into this thread.

Are you saying that there was a Switch port of the first game? Perhaps I'd like that more? I'll need to do more research on my own I suppose.

I'd say TWEWY is an Action RPG. You level up, but that only really boosts HP. Attack, Defense, and other stats go up when you eat food, which "digests" as you battle. You can also wear different clothes to boost stats. And the higher your bravery stat, the more types of clothes you can wear.

I can understand not wanting to play because of the controls. They are weird and take some time to get used to. But I genuinely think this and Kid Icarus: Uprising are the 2 DS games that actually utilize the touch controls well.

The Switch port does have a different control scheme when docked, but it's not using buttons. It uses the IR sensor of the Joycons to point at the screen and do the same movements to attack.

As for the story, I absolutely love it. Neku's development is fantastic. He starts as the emo "friends only weigh you down, I'm the only friend I need" sort of character. But as the story goes on, he opens up. If you dont want to play it, it's suggest at least watching a Let's Play, because the story is fantastic.

I'll take a look at some videos and see if the battle system looks palatable to me. I'd hate to miss out on a good RPG just because of things I've heard instead of trusting my own eyes.