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DS

North America

The World Ends With You

by Mike Gamin - May 14, 2008, 6:33 am EDT
Total comments: 60

7.5

Are you brave enough to wear women's clothing?

How often does Square Enix release a brand new franchise? With such a staple of hit characters and universes, one could understand their relative aversion to the risk involved in introducing a completely new and different game. The World Ends With You definitely bucks that trend, as it features different characters, a different setting, and an entirely different battle system from any Square Enix RPG to date. Created by several of the people behind the Kingdom Hearts series, the game takes place in modern day Tokyo - Shibuya to be exact. Shibuya is the party and fashion district of Tokyo, a haven for hip young people. The story of The World Ends With You is set firmly in this culture.

Virtually the entire game plays out in comic-like panels and speech bubbles on the top screen. These cut-scenes push the game along; in fact, they play such a huge role that you’ll see cut-scenes more often than you will the game’s overworld. It may be more accurate to call them scenes, and call the overworld cut-walking, for lack of a better term.

The overworld is presented as an angled top-down view that uses sprite-scaling to show depth. Directly scaling sprites often results in an extremely pixelated view of the characters; regardless of whether this effect was achieved on purpose or not, its retro feel adds to the hip vibe of the whole game.

The game starts as the main character (you) is thrown into a battle with a random girl there to help you. After the fight, she explains that a pact has been made and the two of you must play through a seven day long game. Each day of the game will see a new mission emailed to your cell phone; these missions vary wildly, with some being simple "Get to such and such location" tasks, while others are vague and riddle-like. This is the game’s primary mechanic and it can often feel shallow and contrived. While the story itself can be quite thought-provoking, this sub-game concept means most of the tasks you perform have very little to do with the actual plot.

As with many RPGs, the meat of the gameplay is found within the battle system. This is where The World Ends With You attempts to innovate the most. Throughout the vast majority of the game the player controls two characters at once during battles. Each character is controlled in a different way. Neku, the main protagonist, occupies the bottom screen. He is controlled using only the stylus. Neku's partner occupies the top screen, and they are controlled with just the D-Pad. Like many DS games using a similar configuration, this system can curtail long gaming sessions due to cramping and fatigue unless you find the perfect body and hand position.

Neku's controls are the most elaborate and make up most of the battle system. Pins are equipped in place of weapons, enabling certain stylus gestures. These gestures are used during battles to perform attacks. There are many different types. My favorites were slashing up on an enemy, which caused Neku to run in for a close combat slash attack, and slashing across Neku in a certain direction, which caused him to shoot energy bullets in that direction. The vast majority of these gestures were very usable, except for one that the pins describe as "scratching". In order to make a scratch pin work, you have to furiously drag the stylus back and forth in a given location. Remember how spinning the analog stick in the first Mario Party resulted in a whole bunch of broken N64 controllers? I can see this scratch attack doing the same thing to DS units. Luckily, all of the pins that use it can easily be substituted for other attack methods.

Movement is the part of Neku's control scheme that takes some significant getting used to. You press down on Neku himself and then drag in the direction you want him to move; once you initiate this process, Neku follows the stylus, a la Link in Phantom Hourglass. However, this clicking-and-dragging is easier said than done in the middle of a battle. As Neku takes hits there is appropriate knock-back, which can make actually placing the stylus on him a challenging task in heated fights, when quick movement is most important. Obviously, this system of movement also makes it impossible to move and attack simultaneously, which feels a bit strange as well.

Still, the pin system allows for an extremely customizable control system overall. It's a pleasure to choose only the pins of the gestures you are most comfortable performing, combining them for fluid combination attacks. Certain pins also act as healing items, and they are initiated by simply tapping on the pin at the top of the screen.

When early screens of The World Ends With You were released, many people took notice of the DDR-like arrows that appear on the top screen. This is where the D-Pad comes in when controlling Neku's partner. The arrows represent attacks as they are happening. To initiate an attack, you simply push left or right on the d-pad. This causes your partner to start attacking in the indicated direction. At this point, three different goals appear in the attack string; one is reached by simply tapping the initial direction over and over, and two more can then be reached by pressing either up or down at the correct time to branch off the main path.

These goals do not affect the actual attack in any way. They are instead used to build up to a limit break-style attack that involves both characters. Throughout the game there are many different forms of these combo attacks. For example, the first one involves a very simple memory game. Three cards are at the top of the screen and you have to select those three in order based on which goal you pick. There is a critical problem with this system, however. Actually making it to the desired goal requires significant concentration, enough that you will begin to totally ignore the bottom screen while implementing a D-Pad combination. This delay causes significant problems, so most players will find themselves ignoring the branches and instead blindly tapping one direction. The system doesn't really penalize you for this either, as you will still build up limit breaks based on sheer probability. Combine this with the fact that you are able to input attacks in a much more rapid fashion, and paying attention to the goals is practically useless.

Rhythm gameplay comes into the battle system in another way as well. There is a green energy "puck" that is passed from one character to the other if they perform a successful string of attacks. As this puck bounces, a damage multiplier builds up. At first glance, this would seem to promote alternating which player is being controlled in order to keep the puck bouncing. Like the limit system, it doesn't take long to realize that ignoring the top screen while blindly tapping a direction is the best way to go. Attacks will be performed so quickly that the puck will return to Neku on the bottom screen almost immediately.

Like most RPGs, The World Ends With You features a large assortment of equipment options for your characters. There are hundreds of different equipment choices that can be purchased at a variety of stores in the game. Collecting and comparing them takes a lot of effort, but for some reason it's quite enjoyable. They did a great job of covering several different clothing styles, from preppy to metal, to goth, to lolita, virtually everything is represented.

Shopping for these items is very rewarding as well. As you buy more things from a particular shopkeeper, your relationship with them will grow. As they begin to like you more and more they may begin offering better items. There will also be times where they tell you about a special ability a particular item has, in effect powering up certain pieces.

Given the modern setting, armor has been replaced with designer clothing. Statistics remain similar in concept, but it's virtually impossible to get any sort of clue as to the stats of an object based off its name. Steel armor is always better than wooden armor in fantasy RPGs, but why is a polo shirt better than a t-shirt? The insanely expensive wrist watch boosts your defense, hit points, and attack stats…how? This disconnect is a little strange.

In another strange twist, clothing is not associated with a particular sex. Dresses are grouped right in with jeans and t-shirts. This isn’t very strange at the beginning of the game. There is a bravery requirement associated with every piece of clothing. Characters must have enough bravery to equip something. It just so happens that most of the women's clothing has a very high bravery rating and the only woman character starts out with an equally high level. All the male characters start out much lower. However, this bravery statistic can be increased on all characters. Therefore, it is completely possible to raise Neku's quite high. Don't be surprised if his best set of clothing involves a nice black dress, press-on fingernails, and a teddy bear.

The writing in the game is surprisingly interesting and insightful. It takes a long hard look at current youth culture and the differing attitude types, all the while questioning what is really important in life. Neku begins the game as incredibly self-serving, and isolated from other individuals. As he meets other people his attitude begins to change. Each of the main characters introduced are developed extremely well, and their personalities and interactions make Neku's transformation more believable. This is what will drive you to keep playing; plot twists are interspersed in such a way that the moment you start to lose interest, something wild occurs.

It's a good thing the story is as good as it is, because in a day and age when we’re spoiled by voice acting and cinematic cut-scenes, The World Ends With You attempts to deliver the same content via comic panels and speech bubbles. While it's easy to appreciate the style, it's hard not to be at least slightly turned off by some of the longer conversations.

Square Enix often seems to rely on a story-first, gameplay-second mentality. It seems as if they tried to break that mold a bit with The World Ends With You, opting for a new and different setting and battle system. It's ironic, then, that the monotony of the new battle system still ends up being redeemed by a great story. And if great stories are your thing, The World Ends With You will warm your heart. If you are all about gameplay, you'll probably get bored fairly quickly.

Score

Graphics Sound Control Gameplay Lastability Final
8.5 9 7.5 6.5 9 7.5
Graphics
8.5

Sprite scaling is an odd choice, but it works in this aesthetic. All of the art is very interesting and well thought-out.

Sound
9

There are quite a few great music tracks that play throughout, and it’s obvious that a lot of effort went into scoring this game. Strangely, the currently-playing song changes every time you go in and out of a menu, making it hard to hear one from start to finish.

Control
7.5

Most of the stylus-based attacks work quite well. Some (namely "scratching") are near impossible. Movement takes a lot of practice as well.

Gameplay
6.5

The battle system doesn't require that much strategy, which results in fighting that is often times monotonous. Thankfully, the game doesn't focus on leveling up, so constant battling isn't required.

Lastability
9

This is a fairly long game, and even after it is finished there is a huge amount of clothing pieces and pins to collect. Pins are especially interesting because there are hundreds of potential battling combinations that would all feel different.

Final
7.5

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.

Summary

Pros
  • Great character development
  • Great story
  • Interesting stylus-based attacks
  • Tons of clothing to collect
Cons
  • Brute force fighting works too well
  • D-Pad fighting is an afterthought
  • Lots and lots of speech bubbles
Review Page 2: Conclusion

Talkback

DAaaMan64May 14, 2008

I'm probably gonna rent this. I seem to have found RPGs less interesting the older I get. I am also getting tired of long stupid stories that have nothing but boring stereotypical lines like Fire Emblem.

But ya thanks for the review and keep twitting impressions!

lol@youMay 14, 2008

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif

I'm totally shocked, SHOCKED. What, monkeys review games now? Seriously, this has to be one of the most stupid reviews that I have ever seen. Not a surprise really, Nintendo World Report is a complete turd, and I only registered here to tell the reviewer of TWEWY that he should find a new job, because as a journalist, dude you are among the worst.

Let's see:

Quote:

              Control:  7.5
      Most of the stylus-based attacks work quite well.  Some (namely "scratching") are near impossible.  Movement takes a lot of practice as well.

Oh seriously? I think that your DS is broken pal, because for me EVERY SINGLE pin worked perfectly. You only have to know HOW to use it, but it looks like that was too hard for you. Now you are saying that "most of the stylus based attacks worq quite well, and some like scratching don't" then, that's the reason to give it a 7.5? For God's sake.

Quote:

                      Gameplay:  6.5
      The battle system doesn't require that much strategy, which results in fighting that is often times monotonous.  Thankfully, the game doesn't focus on leveling up, so constant battling isn't required.

I can't believe it. Dude, this game is probably the RPG with the most amount of strategy involved in the battles. You can combine literally dozens of dozens of pins, and each combination leads you to a different way to play the game. Clothing also adds another layer of strategy.

Quote:

Final:  7.5
      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.     

Stale gameplay? Ok dude, you crossed the line. You are an ignorant that doesn't know anything about games. The World Ends With You has the best gameplay in any RPG in recent memory; fantastic use of the DS, excelent amount of customization, great production values.

Respectable RPG? Cliche word for a worthless review, way to end a laughable review!!

You have to be an animal to believe what the "person" who wrote this said. Congratulations monkey, you wanted to be the "badass" of the journalists being the FIRST PERSON IN THE WORLD who gives this game anything below 8.

If the users of this site have brain, go and read the reviews in every other RESPECTABLE website, The World Ends With You is a critically acclaimed game that it's getting only high 8's 9's and perfect scores. Go and buy it, is by far the best rpg of the year.


To the reviewer, hardcore gaming looks to complicated for you to understand, you should dedicate to other things that are not related with gaming.

Looks like for the animals, so-called reviewers of Nintendo World Report, TWEWY and Zelda Phantom Hourglass are as good as Drake & Josh DS:

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14227

What a joke of a website.

UltimatePartyBearMay 14, 2008

Pale has arrived.

vuduMay 14, 2008

Oh Christ, not this again.  Why does this happen every time NWR reviews a SquareEnix game?

You wouldn't happen to be the same poster who train-wrecked the Final Fantasy III review thread, are you?

Nick DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusMay 14, 2008

EPIC

http://nicholasdimola.googlepages.com/isb.jpg

lol@youMay 14, 2008

LOL, this forum has actually users? Guys, you are part of one heck of a website, kudos for you!

I have been reading a few reviews of other games in this site and my God, I can't believe that this piece of sh1t is part of metacritic and gamerankings. ROFL

lol@youMay 14, 2008

The World Ends With You Reviews:

- Gamespot: 9/10
- IGN: 9/10
- 1UP: A-/A
- Gaming Age: A/A
- Xplay: 5/5
- GamesTM: 9/10


and the best one:

- NintendoWorldReport (Report, lol): 7.5/10

As I posted above, amazing job dude! you wanted to be the first journalist with teh ballz to give this game a "harsh" review, and you did it!. Please, do yourself a favor and find other job.

DAaaMan64May 14, 2008

Hey lol@you, I know someone is wrong on the internet and it's getting you all worked up, but you should just get over yourself or get the hell out.  No one is gonna take you seriously talking like that.

Quote:

As I posted above, amazing job dude! you wanted to be the first journalist with teh ballz to give this game a "harsh" review, and you did it!. Please, do yourself a favor and find other job.

I really doubt he went out to analyze other reviews.

YoshidiousGreg Leahy, Staff AlumnusMay 14, 2008

Infantile zealotry on an internet message board? Now I'm the one that's shocked, SHOCKED.

I love Internet

HA!  Everybody on staff is viewing this!

nemyhlovecraftMay 14, 2008

Quote from: vudu

Oh Christ, not this again.  Why does this happen every time NWR reviews a SquareEnix game?

You wouldn't happen to be the same poster who train-wrecked the Final Fantasy III review thread, are you?

Haha, no that was me. Its funny how that was such traumatic event in this community's history.

NB: After playing FF3 I found it to be slow, bland, but very pretty. So, I'll admit my error. Sorry, guy who ended up quitting anyway.

lol@youMay 14, 2008

LOL, I have read like 10 reviews in this site. Pure and absolute garbage, It's unbelievable, an insult for the professional journalism.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorMay 14, 2008

Quote from: DAaaMan64

Hey lol@you, I know someone is wrong on the internet and it's getting you all worked up, but you should just get over yourself or get the hell out.  No one is gonna take you seriously talking like that.

Quote:

As I posted above, amazing job dude! you wanted to be the first journalist with teh ballz to give this game a "harsh" review, and you did it!. Please, do yourself a favor and find other job.

I really doubt he went out to analyze other reviews.

I make it a point to do my absolute best to avoid any other reviews when I am writing my own.  This isn't always possible, as sometimes the hype permeates, but I was relatively successful with this game.  All I really knew going in was that a lot of other people seemed to enjoy it.

EnnerMay 14, 2008

Seeing as how movie reviews on metacritic run the gamut of scores, I think it's a good thing to have opinions that are different from the majority. It give more information to the consumer for his/her purchasing decisions.

Besides, 7.5 is still a good score.

lol@youMay 14, 2008

yeah, 7.5 can be considered a good score. The thing here is that The World Ends With You is not a 7.5 by any means, and that's why I think that this review is a complete piece of bullsh1t that will confuse a lot of readers (if there is actually somebody who cares to read the reviews in this site though).

KDR_11kMay 14, 2008

The way I play tends to have more time in battles than cutscenes, I don't find them excessively long but they are annoying if you fail at a boss and have to retry it (before you get the ability to retry immediately). With Joshua (not a spoiler as the manual lists him) I pay more attention to the top screen than with Shiki, it's not a problem because you can often keep firing your pins for a few seconds without looking at the screen so you can spare a few seconds to make the partner do his job. I don't care much about the combo tree either but you do have to pay attention in which direction you attack when or your partner will get hit a lot.

Sure, you don't spend much time on the overworld but that's good IMO, you're on the OW when you're not doing anything better and spending a lot of time in it is usually the result of walking anywhere taking forever.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorMay 14, 2008

Oh man, you just made me realize I forgot all about mentioning that you don't get the retry fight thing until later on.  That decision is completely ridiculous, especially in a game where you can save anywhere at will.

Yeah, I agree that you at least have to look at the top screen to pick a direction, but I wasn't really able to use pins efficiently without staring at the bottom screen.  Maybe that's just the pins I picked as my main ones.

Quote from: nemyhlovecraft

Haha, no that was me. Its funny how that was such traumatic event in this community's history.

NB: After playing FF3 I found it to be slow, bland, but very pretty. So, I'll admit my error. Sorry, guy who ended up quitting anyway.

I am extremely impressed that you have not only stuck around since that auspicious debut on the forums, but that you now admit to overreacting at that time.  +1 for maturity.  You're in my cool book.  I hope lol@you will also stay involved and eventually come to realize that we stick by our opinions and come to them independently.  It's natural and expected that many people will disagree with any given review, and we enjoy hearing from dissenters as long as they present logical arguments and refrain from personal attacks.

Nick DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusMay 14, 2008

Quote from: lol@you

yeah, 7.5 can be considered a good score. The thing here is that The World Ends With You is not a 7.5 by any means, and that's why I think that this review is a complete piece of bullsh1t that will confuse a lot of readers (if there is actually somebody who cares to read the reviews in this site though).

Three gripes with your logic.

1) Reviews convey a particular person's views and opinions. There is a certain amount of a game that can be objectively reviewed, however, the rest needs to be subjective. It gives the review substance and creates a basis for the score.

2) Score is only a small portion of the review. If it was the only important part of the review, everyone would just put the score in bold on the front page without any explanation. The text in a review helps justify that score. If the game received a 7.5 and that is below your purchasing standard, you should read the text. Perhaps the gripes of the reviewer won't be gripes that you have.

3) As you so clearly pointed out in your other posts, other review sites exist. If someone read this review and didn't agree with the text or felt they needed more information before making a purchasing decision they are more than welcome to explore other reviews for a more broad perspective on the game.

You are welcome to disagree with Pale's review, but that doesn't make it worthless. Just as you are entitled to your opinion, he is entitled to his.

hahaha lol@you, you're such a douchebag.  I applaud Jonny and Nick for taking the high road, but seriously, what a douchebag.

See?  I can troll too lol@you.  It's not hard.  All you need is a little bit of Xbox Live Courage, which you obviously have in spades, and away you go!

I wish somebody would hate on my reviews.

Perhaps Pokemon Mystery dungeon... if something ever happens with that review.

CalibanMay 14, 2008

Why is it everytime that I see someone that posts just like lol@you, I think that he's one of the regular nwr forum folk pulling a troll prank.

James with Staff-On-Staff trolling!  This thread has truly gotten out of hand.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon will be posted by the end of the week...I PROMISE YOU THAT!!!

It's a slightly unconventional review, so it's taken me a little bit of time to get back to it.  I haven't had the time to devote to it so far this week.

Quote from: Caliban

Why is it everytime that I see someone that posts just like lol@you, I think that he's one of the regular nwr forum folk pulling a troll prank.

I considered that possibility and checked.  Shockingly, no it isn't.

lol@youMay 14, 2008

lol, they also were the ones who gave zelda phantom hourglass a 7.5

looks like NWR is full of wannabe badasses so-called journalists.

It's a shame that the internet is full of people like that.

GoldenPhoenixMay 14, 2008

Please don't feed the gamefaqs monkey people. It will soon die without sustenance.

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix

It will soon die without sustenance.

I just got a pizza!

GoldenPhoenixMay 14, 2008

Quote:

In another strange twist, clothing is not associated with a particular sex.

Pale, this is your vital misreading of the game, and the reason the game will NEVER work for you. If you cannot comprehend this, then there is no hope for your poor soul.  ;)

DAaaMan64May 14, 2008

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix

Quote:

In another strange twist, clothing is not associated with a particular sex.

Pale, this is your vital misreading of the game, and the reason the game will NEVER work for you. If you cannot comprehend this, then there is no hope for your poor soul.  ;)

oh horse shit, it isn't Pale's fault that Square are a bunch or Metro sexual fruits. God I HATE THAT.  Imagine going back in time and seeing THAT.

I don't want THAT.

:)

Aero LeviathanMay 14, 2008

I was wondering if I'd see a review like this that echoes some of the disappointment I felt trying this game, after all the hype it got.

Incidentally, it's pitiable that some people feel the need to validate their opinions by forcing them on others.

Quote from: lol@you

looks like NWR is full of wannabe badasses

Quote from: lol@you

It's a shame that the internet is full of people like that.

The irony here is staggering.

In his defence, I am a wannabe badass.

Nick DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusMay 15, 2008

Quote from: Crimm

In his defence, I am a wannabe badass.

No time for wannabes here, I'm the real deal. :P

S-U-P-E-RTy Shughart, Staff AlumnusMay 15, 2008

Quote from: lol@you

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif

I'm totally shocked, SHOCKED. What, monkeys review games now? Seriously, this has to be one of the most stupid reviews that I have ever seen. Not a surprise really, Nintendo World Report is a complete turd, and I only registered here to tell the reviewer of TWEWY that he should find a new job, because as a journalist, dude you are among the worst.

Let's see:

Quote:

              Control:  7.5
      Most of the stylus-based attacks work quite well.  Some (namely "scratching") are near impossible.  Movement takes a lot of practice as well.

Oh seriously? I think that your DS is broken pal, because for me EVERY SINGLE pin worked perfectly. You only have to know HOW to use it, but it looks like that was too hard for you. Now you are saying that "most of the stylus based attacks worq quite well, and some like scratching don't" then, that's the reason to give it a 7.5? For God's sake.

Quote:

                      Gameplay:  6.5
      The battle system doesn't require that much strategy, which results in fighting that is often times monotonous.  Thankfully, the game doesn't focus on leveling up, so constant battling isn't required.

I can't believe it. Dude, this game is probably the RPG with the most amount of strategy involved in the battles. You can combine literally dozens of dozens of pins, and each combination leads you to a different way to play the game. Clothing also adds another layer of strategy.

Quote:

Final:  7.5
      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.     

Stale gameplay? Ok dude, you crossed the line. You are an ignorant that doesn't know anything about games. The World Ends With You has the best gameplay in any RPG in recent memory; fantastic use of the DS, excelent amount of customization, great production values.

Respectable RPG? Cliche word for a worthless review, way to end a laughable review!!

You have to be an animal to believe what the "person" who wrote this said. Congratulations monkey, you wanted to be the "badass" of the journalists being the FIRST PERSON IN THE WORLD who gives this game anything below 8.

If the users of this site have brain, go and read the reviews in every other RESPECTABLE website, The World Ends With You is a critically acclaimed game that it's getting only high 8's 9's and perfect scores. Go and buy it, is by far the best rpg of the year.


To the reviewer, hardcore gaming looks to complicated for you to understand, you should dedicate to other things that are not related with gaming.

Looks like for the animals, so-called reviewers of Nintendo World Report, TWEWY and Zelda Phantom Hourglass are as good as Drake & Josh DS:

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14227

What a joke of a website.

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/7153/0dd4df45165cb7a6666f108xw3.jpg

Shift KeyMay 15, 2008

Quote from: Crimm

I wish somebody would hate on my reviews.

Perhaps Pokemon Mystery dungeon... if something ever happens with that review.

Whatever comes out of it, I'll complain that you didn't complain enough about the dungeons, thus showing your bias towards all thing Pokemon. OK?

Cool, but you might need to change it to "complained too much" about them.  I rag on them pretty hard, and I'm pretty sure Neal does the same.

I mean, they're effing terrible.

I'd like to take this opportunity to plug my even-handed Phantom Hourglass review (8/10) that everyone forgets about.

Also, breaking news: Adam Kontras gave Super Mario Sunshine an 8/10....but no one remembers that.

Shift KeyMay 15, 2008

Quote from: Crimm

Cool, but you might need to change it to "complained too much" about them.  I rag on them pretty hard, and I'm pretty sure Neal does the same.

All reviewers can use more colourful language in their reviews of bad games. I don't think you could rag on a Pokemon game enough, let alone a bad Pokemon game.

Quote from: TheYoungerPlumber

I'd like to take this opportunity to plug my even-handed Phantom Hourglass review (8/10) that everyone forgets about.

Am I the only one who feels that Phtantom Hourglass was the best Zelda since OoT? And that it deserved a score in the 9.0 to 9.5 range? *sigh*

Nick DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusMay 15, 2008

Quote from: Kairon

Quote from: TheYoungerPlumber

I'd like to take this opportunity to plug my even-handed Phantom Hourglass review (8/10) that everyone forgets about.

Am I the only one who feels that Phtantom Hourglass was the best Zelda since OoT? And that it deserved a score in the 9.0 to 9.5 range? *sigh*

Yes. Every other Zelda > Phantom Hourglass > Zelda II. Temple of the Ocean King FTL; without it I might've enjoyed it a bit more, but it still wouldn't have been one of my favorites.

KDR_11kMay 15, 2008

I don't think the lack of gender segregated clothing is an issue, if cross-dressing is the in-thing to do then why not. Too bad you can't see the clothes on the characters :P. Shiki in Mus Rattus gear (bland, boring clothes) and Neku decked out with Lapin Angelique (goth loli)... Would be epic win.

Oh and I hate the music I've heard so far...

Using pins blindly for a second or two isn't a big issue if you've got pins with some ammo, just keep firing at the cluster of enemies, you'll probably land plenty of hits.

Quote from: TheYoungerPlumber

Also, breaking news: Adam Kontras gave Super Mario Sunshine an 8/10....but no one remembers that.

Yeah, that's overrating.

Kairon: Agreed. PH > FSA > MC > TP > WW > OOT

Quote from: Mr.

Quote from: Kairon

Quote from: TheYoungerPlumber

I'd like to take this opportunity to plug my even-handed Phantom Hourglass review (8/10) that everyone forgets about.

Am I the only one who feels that Phtantom Hourglass was the best Zelda since OoT? And that it deserved a score in the 9.0 to 9.5 range? *sigh*

Yes. Every other Zelda > Phantom Hourglass > Zelda II. Temple of the Ocean King FTL; without it I might've enjoyed it a bit more, but it still wouldn't have been one of my favorites.

The Ocean King Temple was amazing. It showed great design in that your relationship with the level matured and changed as you grew more powerful. It was a dungeon design that existed in the fourth dimension: time changed the dungeon's challenges and difficulty and tasks, but with you as the cause as well as the solution.

KDR_11kMay 15, 2008

Or at very least using different items made each run different enough that it wasn't really doing the same dungeon six times.

Nick DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusMay 15, 2008

I'll agree with your sentiment, but don't make me replay parts I've already been through, what, 4 times? That was a major turn off for me. If you lost on one of the last play-thrus of the Temple you were forced to dump another 15 or more minutes to replay the same shit over again. Tedium is not my thing and that was all that Temple seemed to provide for me.

DAaaMan64May 15, 2008

I agree with Mr. Jack although I still love Phantom Hourglass. I kinda think WW is better than TP or PH though.

GoldenPhoenixMay 15, 2008

Mr. Jack you are debating someone who loves Far Cry, this Kairon individual lives off tedium.

Quote from: Mr.

I'll agree with your sentiment, but don't make me replay parts I've already been through, what, 4 times? That was a major turn off for me. If you lost on one of the last play-thrus of the Temple you were forced to dump another 15 or more minutes to replay the same **** over again. Tedium is not my thing and that was all that Temple seemed to provide for me.

Aren't you exagerating things? With saves and shortcuts each playthrough I felt that each playthrough was unique and of a good manageable length.

LuigiHannMay 15, 2008

I really hated the Temple of the Ocean King sequence in The World Ends With You.

nickmitchMay 15, 2008

I agree with Mr. Jack. The items did change the way you played through the temple, but it still came down to find thing, place thing, move on. Being able to do the same thing slightly faster or minutely different didn't change the fact that you were doing the same thing again.

Quote from: nickmitch

I agree with Mr. Jack. The items did change the way you played through the temple, but it still came down to find thing, place thing, move on. Being able to do the same thing slightly faster or minutely different didn't change the fact that you were doing the same thing again.

One of these days I need to quantitatively measure and evaluate Ocean Temple playthroughs...

Nick DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusMay 15, 2008

Quote from: Kairon

Quote from: Mr.

I'll agree with your sentiment, but don't make me replay parts I've already been through, what, 4 times? That was a major turn off for me. If you lost on one of the last play-thrus of the Temple you were forced to dump another 15 or more minutes to replay the same **** over again. Tedium is not my thing and that was all that Temple seemed to provide for me.

Aren't you exagerating things? With saves and shortcuts each playthrough I felt that each playthrough was unique and of a good manageable length.

I wish I was exaggerating how much it annoyed me, seriously. I really did like alot of the other elements of the game, especially sailing which was greatly improved from WW. However, that temple was just unbearable. At first I didn't mind, but by the end of the game, every time I had to traverse that temple the game literally infuriated me.

CalibanMay 15, 2008

Quote from: Mr.

Every other Zelda > Zelda II.

Lies.

BloodworthDaniel Bloodworth, Staff AlumnusMay 15, 2008

This thread has been madly derailed.

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Oh snap! I didn't mean to. Seriously!

Now give me back my hat.... seriously.

vuduMay 16, 2008

I'm about an hour and a half into the game, and while I enjoy, I don't quite "get" it yet.  I turned on auto-partner as soon as it was available to I can concentrate on the touch screen battle until I feel comfortable with that.  I have a hard time getting some of the pins to register attacks.  Granted, I haven't even opened the instruction manual, and I've only played about ten battles, (including the opening ones where you couldn't die) so maybe I just need to put some more time into it.

I'm amazed by the menus.  Even though I only have two of the sub-menus available at this point (pins & clothing) it seems incredibly deep, yet laid out very well.

I really like the graphic style.  The music is somewhere between great and grating.  I can't seem to decide which.

My old roommate decided. He bought the soundtrack.

BloodworthDaniel Bloodworth, Staff AlumnusMay 16, 2008

cool. I've been listening to it in the car the past couple weeks.

KDR_11kMay 17, 2008

Auto partner is less effective than manual control, the AI doesn't attack as rapidly as you would and fails to properly suppress all enemies, resulting in a lot of damage to your partner.

MarioMay 17, 2008

So much bickering about a non-game

vuduMay 17, 2008

Quote from: KDR_11k

Auto partner is less effective than manual control, the AI doesn't attack as rapidly as you would and fails to properly suppress all enemies, resulting in a lot of damage to your partner.

Yeah, I figured that out.  Now I just rapidly press either left or right repeatedly.  It seems to work better, but like Pale,I can't help but feel I'm missing some of the finesse of the game.  I'll keep at it, and I'm sure I'll pick it up eventually.  (I've only just begun the third day.)

nemyhlovecraftMay 17, 2008

Quote from: Mr.

Quote from: Kairon

Quote from: Mr.

I'll agree with your sentiment, but don't make me replay parts I've already been through, what, 4 times? That was a major turn off for me. If you lost on one of the last play-thrus of the Temple you were forced to dump another 15 or more minutes to replay the same **** over again. Tedium is not my thing and that was all that Temple seemed to provide for me.

Aren't you exagerating things? With saves and shortcuts each playthrough I felt that each playthrough was unique and of a good manageable length.

I wish I was exaggerating how much it annoyed me, seriously. I really did like alot of the other elements of the game, especially sailing which was greatly improved from WW. However, that temple was just unbearable. At first I didn't mind, but by the end of the game, every time I had to traverse that temple the game literally infuriated me.

To weigh in on the PH meta thread cunningly hidden inside this larger review thread headquarters: The Ocean King Temple was genius precisely because it was so frustrating and repetitive (if you didn't take advantage of the shortcuts). I don't know that I've ever felt a catharsis as great from a video game, let alone a handheld game, as the final run through of the Ocean King Temple.

Also, the "sailing" was miserable in PH, especially since it was driving a steamboat, not sailing.  That being said I did not like traveling around in that thing, whereas I loved the sailing in WW because it was sailing. The music and the art made everything really grand and adventure-like.

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It's a Wonderful World Box Art

Genre RPG
Developer Square Enix

Worldwide Releases

na: The World Ends With You
Release Apr 22, 2008
PublisherSquare Enix
RatingTeen
jpn: It's a Wonderful World
Release Q3 2007
PublisherSquare Enix
Rating12+
eu: The World Ends With You
Release Apr 18, 2008
PublisherSquare Enix
Rating12+
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