Nintendo DS

The World Ends With You

The World Ends With You is quite the surprise game considering how little I had heard about this. For a new IP I didn’t have much to expect and I came away pleasantly surprised. It’s got a slightly difficult learning curve, but once you get the hang of the game you’ll find it has a fun battle system and a pretty good story. The World Ends With You caught me off guard and I can’t recommend it enough, it also has an extensive end-game that will keep you busy long after completion. Don’t let The World Ends With You pass you up as it is easily the best DS title released in the last two years.

TWEWY is definitely the current reason to own a DS right now, and you'll be doing yourself a disservice if you choose to not check it out. There's a lot of micromanagement involved with the inventory system, which can be daunting to some users, but the sheer amount of options you have in character customization is absolutely rewarding if you want to dig deep enough. Combined with an incredible soundtrack, and some of the best 2D visuals on the system to date, Square Enix has managed to trump even their long-standing franchises with The World Ends With You.

The World Ends With You may very well be ringing in a new age for the role-playing game -- one where narrative isn't trapped in the fantasy ghetto and where entertainment isn't wrung from an endless experience grind. What we have here is a smartly written, visually stylistic exploration of the teenage mind. Sure, the game uses monsters and magic to attack these themes, but these aren't the same old slimes. Neku certainly isn't the same old hero. The World Ends With You is a J-Pop remix of the role-playing game with way more to say about life than your average fantasy adventure. It's a video game parable, parsing the experiences of high-school kids as life-or-death struggles for identity. Games rarely have things this interesting to say or approach them from this outlandish a vector. Listen up.

When playing The World Ends With You it’s hard not to be impressed. The game hits the mark on virtually every point and its unique blend of fashion savvy, fast paced combat, OCD inspiring item management and audiovisual presentation should not be missed. Square Enix adds another feather to its fully plumed hat and provides those holding out on buying a DS one more reason to hold out no longer.

I have played a lot of RPGs, and there's very few that have ended up on my all-time RPG shortlist. My list is home to a select few games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII. Many games that are considered as classics like Secret of Mana don't meet my expectations for one reason or another. So, when I say that The World Ends With You has made a very strong case for my shortlist, I want you to understand what that means. It's a very exclusive distinction, and one that this game has earned. So, if you're tired of saving the world with mystical swords and armor, The World Ends With You is a game you definitely should play. It's not only a great portable game and a great step forward for RPGs, but one of the best games I've ever played.

One of the most fun, addictive, out-of-the-box RPGs since Earthbound. If you can handle the hardcore learning curve, the payoff is terrific.

This is the first contemporary urban RPG I’ve played since Earthbound, and it had me from the get-go. Not only is the gameplay built from the ground-up for the DS, but the story is actually about something – not just orcs and elves. The World Ends truly hits the mark in DS gaming. While it has a few minor stumbling points that reduce the aggregate score here, it definitely gets a 10 on the Emo scale. Who ever thought those little pins with skulls on them would have telekinesis powers?

The World Ends with You is a game that every RPG fan who owns a DS needs to have. Jupiter and Square-Enix have done almost everything right in this game to create a solid, fun experience. While the game seems overly complex at times and requires a lot of personal investment from the player, if you stick with it, you'll find one of the best experiences on the DS system. From the terrific soundtrack and visual style to the great story and unique combat system, there's more than enough to make any DS owner proud to add TWEwY to his or her collection.

If we haven't made it explicitly clear so far (or you're one of those shameless readers who just skip to the end – and if so, for shame), this is going to be the cult-hit DS game of 2008. Jupiter and Square Enix have developed a game that nails just about everything it tries – and it tries quite a lot of new or carefully lifted ideas. The story, which occasionally gets bogged down in silly or overly-reactive dialogue and situations, will definitely keep you hooked throughout the adventure. Even with this extensive write-up, there's no question that there are elements we haven't touched on that should be discovered for yourselves. The setting won't appeal to everyone (again, suggesting eventual cult-status), but the unique style and combat is so worth your time that it's hard to get too bogged down in minor quirks and faults. Another Square Enix gem, then. Here's hoping this becomes a series, because it's got all the hallmarks of a true classic.

With its frantic dual-screen battles in a dense little city, The World Ends With You is a surprisingly hardcore, impossibly ambitious DS title. This pint-size powerhouse might sadly intimidate a few DS owners and their Pokeymans. Don’t get scared off; put down your Zeldas and your juice boxes for two minutes and try taking on The World.

The World Ends With You isn't a Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts game, and many gamers will probably pass it by as a result. That's their loss. This is a game that works precisely because it's something new and different, and deserves to be celebrated for its originality...and for making its more banal moments as compelling as the inventive ones.

The World Ends With You is more than easy on the eyes, and ears. Through clever storytelling, it manages to deliver some complex ideas in a way that’s non-threatening and understandable for all ages. The game makes a statement about our attitudes toward life. In a nutshell – it’ll make you FEEL good. I'm giving it 9 out of 10 as well.

This game will take a fair amount of persistence to get through some of the harder combat stages, and that’s to be expected from a combat system so original. The good news is, it’s definitely worth the effort and all around it’s a totally new experience. 9 rubber chickens from me.

The greatest strength of The World Ends With You is that, in spite of its genre-bending innovations, not a single new element has been introduced for the sake of it. Everything makes brilliant use of the DS's peculiarities and plays to the strengths of the RPG rather than diluting it. The overall result is a beautifully constructed game that feels refreshingly like the work of a team that actually cares about the future of videogames.

Set in the trendy Shibuya district of Tokyo, The World Ends With You is as frenetic and fast-paced as the city that it takes place in. But don't let the break-neck pace of the game fool you: World Ends is a worthy addition to Square-Enix's impressive portfolio of titles and it has enough to please even die-hard traditionalists.

Whether you’re a fan of the art style or not, or if the dual screen combat is just too hectic for your tastes, there’s still no denying the game’s impressive ability to create an immersive, alive world on Nintendo’s pocket platform, complete with beautiful and inspired music, matchless art design, and pioneering individuality in gameplay. It stands toe to toe with The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass in this reviewer’s opinion, and will hold the title for being one of DS’s freshest and most imaginative experiences long after the system falls to the wayside. Games like this come once in a system’s lifetime, and shouldn’t be ignored.

The Worlds Ends With You is a deep and multifaceted adventure with clever combat, innovative features and a worrying shop-till-you-drop addictivity

The World Ends With You is an unexpected example of a modern DS classic. Square Enix has gone above and beyond what anyone expected, choosing to eschew convention to create something entirely their own. It’s an absolutely gorgeous fusion of form and function, and if you have even the vaguest appreciation for the genre you’d do good to pick it up.

Flawless presentation, gameplay depth, an engaging story, and innovation all add up to make The World Ends With You a worthy addition to the already-impressive pantheon of Square Enix works. There's very little to complain about in this package, which makes The World Ends With You a must-have for any DS owner needing an RPG fix.

One the best crafted DS games, thus far, featuring amazing craftsmanship from Square-Enix. This really shows that they can do more than Final Fantasy titles.

It’s strange, isn’t it? In a genre where medieval themes reign supreme, setting a game in contemporary Tokyo is a fairly fresh concept. The game captures the city scene so well: the sun-blasted streets, the pulsing J-Pop, and the bustling crowds of people who care absolutely nothing about you. Neku and his little gang of urban heroes are a far cry from the super-heroic swordsmen of most RPGs; the ultra-stylish outfits and technology they use are taken directly from what you’d see in Shibuya today. Despite this, the mysticism of the plot and the magic being wielded are definitely welcome. The combination of using both screens and the stylus make for one of the most demanding gameplay formulas yet; there hasn’t been a game this Touch Screen-centric since Kirby Canvas Curse. So do yourself a favor and pick up The World Ends With You. As far as handheld RPGs go, it doesn’t get much more original than this.

Still, The World Ends With You is a great experience. Aside from these combat flaws, all of the elements are tied together incredibly well and the stylized take on real-world locations in Shibuya and its inhabitants, along with a surprisingly high quality J-pop style soundtrack, make it even more vibrant and enjoyable. The way that the setting and characters interact and play off each other to create such a wonderful story that rarely ever slows down or becomes uninteresting is something that other RPGs should take note of.

The World Ends With You is a game like no other. While squarely falling into the RPG camp, with your usual list of item collection, constant battles and enough dialog to fill a book, its setting and ambiance are one of a kind, its real-time combat system is fresh and engaging and it even throws in a few trivial multiplayer options to boot. It lacks neither style nor substance. While it can become repetitive, it also rewards you with extra experience points for taking breaks. All in all, this is one DS game that you should check out.

The World Ends With You is hands-down one of the best DS games yet. It's fun and unique, and every DS-owning RPG fan needs to pick this up.

What can be said, however, is that The World Ends With You combines Square’s hallmark character development and story with the collectability of Pokémon, and ties together innovative game design with the urban cool of Jet Set Radio. Indeed, the game’s appropriation of real-world themes and issues are at the heart of its success. It’s a celebration of modern life, and like modern life, it can be messy, complicated and confusing, and you might find yourself beset by minor disappointments. But you get out what you put in, and at its heart is an important message about making human connections in a world that can sometimes seem harsh and uncaring. Which, when you think about it, is pretty cool. And if you don’t want to think about it, well then you can just sit back and enjoy the game design.

En definitiva, The World Ends with You es un título muy adictivo y con una calidad que está fuera de toda duda; un derroche de originalidad que se convierte de inmediato en un referente y un clásico del género en la portátil de Nintendo. La historia es interesante, los personajes tienen carisma, el sistema de juego es de lo mejor que hemos visto últimamente y el apartado técnico brilla a alto nivel. Dejémoslo claro: no se lleva más nota porque nos ha llegado sin traducir, cosa que a estas alturas es inadmisible en un producto. A pesar de todo, alcanza la categoría de imprescindible dentro del amplio catálogo de Nintendo DS.

The World Ends With You is a game that’s really hard to get into at first because of its bizarre presentation. However, the strangeness of the game is what really makes it stand out from any RPG—or rather, any game, that’s come out before it. The first playthrough should last anywhere between 10-15 hours, but players benefit from playing through it multiple times because of opportunities to learn more about the story’s background. The story contains touching themes of ignorance leading to maturity, themes of companionship, betrayal, and all sorts of things that you’d expect from a teen-novel flick. However way you look at it, The World Ends With You is an extremely engaging experience, but if you don’t have the patience for it at first, then the world ends with you.

Etwas Eingewöhnungsphase braucht der etwas andere RPG-Titel dann jedoch, legt er umso mehr los. Square Enix ist mit The World Ends With You ein spannendes Rollenspiel auf dem mobilen DS gelungen, das vor allem mit seiner gut erzählten Story und einem runden Spielfluss punkten kann. Verbunden mit dem dynamischen Schwierigkeitsgrad und einer Spielzeit bei 20-Stunden ist dieser Titel einer, den sich DS-Besitzer nicht entgehen lassen sollten.

My final thought on The World Ends With You is that it's a grower. I was not initially sold on the game, but as I sunk more time into it, the more it grew on me. The game does an excellent job of spacing out when new plot and gameplay elements are introduced, thus rewarding players who invest time into it. It also beautifully allows you to tweak the level of challenge you want out of the game. The game is obviously a quirky RPG whose quirks may either grow on you or turn you off. Still, for those who want to tread off the beaten path of the classic JRPG formula, The World Ends With You is worth at least a trial rental. It may not be Earthbound or Shin Megami Tensei, but The World Ends With You is one of the more unique titles Square Enix has released in a while and that has to count for something, right?

Danke Square Enix für dieses erfrischende und mutige Spielerlebnis. Schön, dass es auch im Rollenspielbereich noch innovative Szenarios geben kann. Darüber hinaus begeistert ’The World Ends With You’ mit einem motivierenden Spezialkräftesystem, einer spannenden Story und einer hippen Inszenierung. Perfekt ist der Ausflug nach Shibuya aber nicht: Die Kampfsteuerung funktioniert nicht so gut, wie es eigentlich nötig wäre, und die Komplexität des Spiels dürfte viele unerfahrene User abschrecken. Wen diese Herausforderung nicht stört, der sollte sich den neuen Titel der ’Kingdom Hearts’-Entwickler nicht entgehen lassen.

The World Ends With you is easily one of the best and undoubtedly one of the most unique experiences available on the Nintendo DS. Despite a tough learning curve, we highly recommend this one-of-a-kind title.

Si l’on trouve beaucoup de titres anecdotiques sur Nintendo DS, de vraies perles peuvent y émerger comme The World Ends With You. Les fonctions tactiles et le double écran de la console sont parfaitement utilisés, la durée de vie est plus qu’honnête, le système de combat est franchement novateur et la réalisation d’ensemble est brillante. Enfin, l’ambiance indescriptible du jeu rend l’expérience hautement addictive. Derrière sa réelle complexité, son univers tranché se cache un jeu atypique à la saveur particulière. Un titre qui a tout pour devenir culte auprès des joueurs qui auront le courage et la chance de s’y aventurer.

The World Ends With You just has a bizarre and magnetic kind of charm. Its captivating combat, stylish aesthetic, and strange story (it reminds me of the anime series Gantz [Nerd! - Ed,], set it apart as one of the most distinctive RPG experiences on any platform. This is the stuff cult hits are made of.

The World Ends With You lasts about thirty hours for a complete playthrough of the main story line and even longer if players want to continue on with extras afterward. Gamers can save almost anywhere and can modify the difficulty setting between battles, so if things are getting a bit tough, the challenge can be dropped down temporarily, only sacrificing the quality of possible drops after battle. With the ability to adjust the difficulty level, players of all kinds should find this game accessible. Its unique presentation, compelling story, likeable characters, and intense gameplay make The World Ends With You a very impressive game. It only suffers from unresponsive controls for some pins and a handful of boring missions, but even with those complaints, The World Ends With You is a solid game.

It's great that you have a number of actions to perform during battles with your stylus, but the overall effect is like button mashing. You're doing a lot of work, but the payoff isn't equal to the task. But even with its flaws, the game holds up on many fronts and has plenty of cool features to have fun with.

Sebagai game RPG, TWEWY memberikan gamplay yang segar dan inovatif. Keunikan cara bermainnya memberi game ini nilai tambah karena sangat menarik untuk dimainkan. Tampilan game dan desain karakter yang menarik dan ‘anak muda’ banged, ditambah dengan lantunan musik dari berbagai artis ternama, membuat game ini semakin lengkap. Selain itu cerita Neku dan Shiki selama tujuh hari memiliki berbagai twist yang pastinya bakal mengejutkan gamers. The World Ends With You adalah game yang cocok menemani gamers dimana saja, karena menggunakan sistem penyimapan game kapan saja. Jadi nunggu apalagi ? Kalian hanya memiliki tujuh hari untuk menyelamtakan dunia..!!!

There's some post game content which speaks volumes to what RPGs should provide to keep you playing after the credits roll. You can even replay the game for kicks with new options that include fighting bosses on hard and ultimate, plus a slew of new items. If you're looking for something different in an RPG then do yourself a favor and give this game a shot. What's the worst that can happen? You may just remember why you like playing RPG's in the first place and remember that Square-Enix would like you to stop being antisocial; it isn't funky, fly, or fresh.

The World Ends With You proves to be a refreshing take on the old action-rpg formula, providing an adventure unlike anything we've seen on the DS thus far. Though it does have some failings when it comes to the narrative, after a while things start to click. The beautiful world, smart controls and surprising depth kept us coming back for more.

The World Ends With You réussi à faire son petit effet. Voilà un titre fort impressionnant, tant il arrive à se défaire avec brio des codes qui régissent habituellement les productions Square Enix. Une esthétique osée, un système de combat dynamique, bien qu’un peu confus et un scénario intéressant, bref tout les principaux ingrédients d’un RPG réussi sont là, d'autant qu'ils sont de qualité. The World Ends With You prouve tout simplement que la firme reine du jeu de rôles possède encore en son sein des créateurs. Voilà de quoi rassurer tous les rôlistes.

Un juegazo para la portátil de Nintendo, uno de esos juegos que no debes dejar pasar. Si tan sólo se hubieran molestado en traducir los textos, tendríamos el juego del año sin lugar a dudas, ya que es totalmente nuevo, fresco e innova en su género. Lástima lo del idioma, ¿en qué estaban pensando los de Square-Enix?

The World Ends With You, then, is the sort of game I desperately hope will leave some scratches on the unyielding grey carapace of modern games design once it's bounced off into inevitable obscurity. It's bold, inspiring and bubbling over with dozens of ideas, any one of which would be cause for celebration in most games, but the over-reliance on a daunting sink-or-swim combat system that will leave many players gasping for breath ultimately counts against it. A truly brilliant game, it's just a shame that it couldn't ease off on the information overload and make that brilliance easier for everyone to appreciate.

The story of The World Ends With You makes up for its relatively stale gameplay, making this a respectable RPG. Fans of Kingdom Hearts will most likely enjoy this game, as the action-oriented battle system and character designs are very similar.

Action-RPG original et stylisé, The World Ends With You ne plaira pas à tout le monde. Entre une esthétique fashion, un concept basé sur les tendances vestimentaires et un système de combat dynamique mais difficile d'accès si on veut en tirer toute la quintessence, le titre de Jupiter ne se laissera pas dompter si facilement. Toutefois, si vous parvenez à pénétrer dans ce monde de strass, vous découvrirez un titre atypique, original et frais par bien des côtés.

A fresh concept on the action RPG setting, everything from the presentation screams modern. However, it ultimately suffers from trying too hard to be innovative and forgets the important part of being user friendly. It is worth a rental for sure and if you can stomach the cast of characters and initially confusing battle system then it might be worth a buy for you.

Avec ses thèmes fashion et ses dialogues un peu superficiels, on pouvait craindre de voir la licence originale de Square Enix tomber dans le domaine du jeu-gadget destiné uniquement aux joueurs un peu branchouilles. C'est en fait un Action-RPG solide et innovant qui débarque sur la portable de Nintendo, soutenu par une identité artistique forte et ancrée dans l'ère de son temps. Exploitant intelligemment les capacités de la DS, The World Ends with You demande quelques efforts pour être entièrement maîtrisé, mais il sait également être flexible de son côté pour rendre l'apprentissage plus facile au joueur. Au lieu d'une fin du monde, il apporte un renouveau appréciable dans son domaine.