The World Ends With You So Buy It

This title is not a suggestion. It is not a polite request. It is a freaking mandate. If you own a DS, you owe it to yourself to have this game in your library. If you don't, I can't consider you a gamer. It's that simple. Now why am I laying such heavy praise on a game that I haven't played to the end and therefore can't properly review it? Answer: Because it is one of the single best Action RPGs I have ever played.

By now, most of you have heard the story but for those who haven't, here's a quick refresher. You start the game as average Japanese 15 year old Neku, a moody teen who doesn't realize the use of trusting other people, who wakes up one day to discover that he is somehow in the streets of the Shibuya district. He has no idea how he got there or why and has no memory beyond his own name. His cell phone rings indicating his mission. If he doesn't complete it in time, he will be erased. So begins what is called the Reaper's Game.

The story is one of the highlights of the game. You are left completely clueless with little to no backstory on what's going on which puts you directly in the shoes of Neku. This isn't your typical RPG plot, besides the loss of memory which is smartly explained later on. You aren't trying to save the world. You are trying to survive. That and what it means to trust someone are the themes that stand out to me with The World Ends With You. It's a more personal tale and I love it for that.

The graphics are some of the best on the system. 2D sprites are vibrant and stand out. The streets are packed with pedestrians at all times. And the backgrounds give the sense that Shibuya is its own world. Cutscenes take the form of character art talking to each other through text bubbles, giving the game a distinctive manga feel. Unlike most games of this type where the art has maybe 5 different forms to convey the emotions, the main characters are given about 10 different emotions to display with sound bites to go with them. The art style is immensely appealing to myself and its a setting where Tetsuya Nomura's character designs really fit. I know some may be off put by the art, but it matches the vibe for the rest of the game. The package really gives you the sense of knowing these characters which is essential to giving full impact for the story.

Speaking of vocals, I have no idea how Square-Enix fit all their sound and music into the cartridge. Sound bites, battle grunts, and at least 20 different songs that are constantly playing in the background. Like the rest of the game, it isn't your typical RPG. Hip hop and techno beats are constantly playing which helps add to the overall urban culture and the feeling of Shibuya. The music is so good in fact that I have hooked my computer's speakers up to my DS and had it play while I did other things.

The battle system is obviously the most talked about part of the game. They sound complicated but do they work? Short answer: yes. With over 300 pins to collect, the action on the bottom screen alone would be a worthy battle system. Tapping, slashing, holding, and circling all cause different attacks to activate with the right pin equipped which makes a highly customizable battle engine. Personally, I like to equip pins that won't conflict with each other, which can be a problem at time. For example, I currently use a pin where I have to slash the enemy with my stylus in order to attack. At the same time I have a pin where I have to slash across Neku in order to send out attack beams. If the enemies get too bunched around you, you can end up inputting the attack you didn't want. Still, with proper planning, this can mostly be avoided.

Once you add in the top screen, a whole new ballgame emerges. As you progress, your partner is given new abilities which make it vital to watch both screens. But because the attainment of these abilities are gradual, you typically have a grasp on paying attention to both at that point. You push the d-pad to either the left or right in order to attack in that direction. Push up to jump and then combo into an attack. Push down to guard. You can also counterattack by pushing in the opposite direction of your already started attack if an enemy comes at you from behind. The hardest thing I found about the top screen was getting the fusion attack to work properly. I can't consciously input the right attacks yet. Fortunately, the placement of the right elements are random which means you'll eventually earn it through endless tapping left or right. Not the most elegant way but I'm still learning.

The customization options is where the game truly shines. 300 pins, 13 different clothing brands with their own styles, the ability to switch between difficulties on the fly, and the ability to adjust your own level. In no other RPG have I gone on such shopping sprees. Every item, no matter what it does or how expensive it is, I buy. The reason is because of the changing fashion preferences in Shibuya. The higher the clothing you wear is ranked, the better attack bonuses you get. The same is true vice versa. However, if your clothing is ranked somewhere in the middle, you can affect the fashion tastes through battle so that your fashion is on top. Each enemy has a different item that they drop depending on the difficulty that you're set at. With four difficulty settings, you can choose what kind of drops you want from the enemies you fight. The level your at can also be adjusted. For example, I am actually level 23, but I'm only set at level 5. The reason is because I have 18 times better chances at getting pin drops which helps rake up the cash so I can buy more clothes. You can also stack up to 4 battles so that you can multiply those pin drops even further.

I could talk about this game for much longer, but I'll stop here with my mandate once again. Buy this game if you have a DS. Even if you don't like RPGs, there's enough action that you will be satiated. In fact, battles are never a chore. Each one is fun and unique and can be entered as little or as often as you want. RPGs were beginning to lose their flavor with me but The World Ends With You completely revitalized it. Never have I been so addicted to a game. I sincerely hope that it becomes a new franchise for Square-Enix. I would buy any manga, anime, or sequel that would come out if the quality is maintained. Buy this game. Love this game. Trust me.