Despite covering a number of JRPGs on this site, I hadn’t really considered it a genre that I really got into – however, The World Ends With You was one of the early exceptions. A fellow DS owner had recommended it to me, and at first I was sceptical because the concepts and ideas described in the game seemed so unfamiliar, but overall I think that it was worth sticking with in the end. The game used the typical JRPG format of “dialogue sequences broken up by turn-based battles” (well, sort of turn-based – you moved around freely but were restricted by cooldowns) and yet it seemed desperate to reinvent the genre’s conventions, with input sequences and touch gestures replacing a typical command menu during battle. It presented a modern urban backdrop that was a contrast to the medieval fantasy tropes so often used in the genre, and the music was filled with catchy pop and hip-hop sounds rather than the grand orchestral score one might expect from an RPG. Even today, the only RPGs with comparable aesthetics might be things like SMT or Yakuza. It was far from flawless – the touch gestures made combat a bit scrappy, certain chapters got rather samey and not everyone thought that the characters were that great – but it wasn’t afraid to break the mould, and after several ports and updates, fans are finally getting a new game in the form of NEO: The World Ends With You.
NEO: The World Ends With You – the teaser
On Tuesday 17th November, a PR Twitter account for Square Enix’s primary development HQ tweeted the words “TIMELIMIT WITHIN 7DAYS” and a link to a teaser page with a countdown timer. The style of the music playing on that teaser page had a similar vibe to the classic TWEWY tunes, and the specific decision to create a seven-day timer seemed like a reference to the “Reaper’s Game” that was central to the storyline of the DS original. It wasn’t long before the questions changed; people didn’t need to know what game was being teased – instead, they were wondering what TWEWY-related thing might be revealed on the page. (Personally I kept my expectations low, but I was kind of hoping for a new soundtrack release because I don’t have one…) Today, we have our answer – more than a decade after the DS game launched, it’s getting its first proper sequel in the form of NEO: The World Ends With You.
New faces
Well, sort of. Despite being in a similar world and having a similar premise, NEO: TWEWY follows a brand new cast of characters who are taking on the “Reaper’s Game”; the deadly challenge established in the original game which Neku and co. experienced. I remember when people even questioned how a sequel could work (the original was wrapped up quite neatly), and I always had the feeling that a new game needn’t follow the same characters because there’s so much untapped potential in that “Reaper’s Game” premise – supposedly it’s something that many characters in the game were partaking in, so there was always an opportunity to show a fresh perspective. That said, the trailer does show off some returning faces such as Kariya and Minamimoto, so their return will be welcomed.
NEO: The World Ends With You – coming next year
The battle gameplay now takes place in 3D environments but on a “single screen”, with no sign of the QTE-style commands that Shiki, Joshua and Beat had to use in the DS game, so I imagine that most of the commands may end up being motion-based, but that’s just my speculation. It’ll be interesting to find out how (or if) allies work together in battle, since there was a lot of battle footage where you could see multiple allies facing the enemy (as opposed to the two partners of the original.) Meanwhile, the aesthetic survives the transition to 3D, with plenty of bold colours and swinging camera motions making the battles feel more alive than ever. The trailer ends with a “Summer 2021” date and logos for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch, so it looks like I won’t be retiring Sony’s last-gen machine any time soon…
You can find the official page for the game here. While you wait for its release, why not track down the original The World Ends With You for Nintendo DS, or try the Final Remix port on Nintendo Switch?