The World Ends with You

 DS
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 391 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 333 out of 391
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 391
  3. Negative: 31 out of 391
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  1. Lev
    Aug 20, 2008
    5
    I was very dissapointed with this game. The gameplay was good, thought a bit repetitive at times, but I guess that could be said to most rpgs. I also liked how they integrated the setting into the gameplay. So no complaints in this section, that part was well made. The presentation of things were also nice, even though it had a bit too much 'cool teenage anime look', it I was very dissapointed with this game. The gameplay was good, thought a bit repetitive at times, but I guess that could be said to most rpgs. I also liked how they integrated the setting into the gameplay. So no complaints in this section, that part was well made. The presentation of things were also nice, even though it had a bit too much 'cool teenage anime look', it wasn't that bothering. What put me off is that the story started out slowly and boring, and near on the end of the first week, it started to get interesting and exicitng, and I enjoyed the second week, because the story revealed many more misteries waiting to be solved. But on the end of said week, every story development was simply cut off, and we were back to the over-dramatic emo angst. I wanted to finish the game, but after all that I simply couldn't. I read some spoilers later, and those didn't change my opinion either. I don't really see that putting most of the typical jrpg story and character elements into a trendy real life enviroment why would change anything. I admit that there are some clichés that never really get boring for me, but I'm also happy about new and fresh things. But it seems twewy just wasn't what I was looking for.… Expand
  2. toby
    Apr 30, 2008
    7
    At least it's a change from the cliche fantasy stuff. But still, the overdose of text can get really tiring, and I think Japanese companies like Square and Nintendo need to realize nobody really cares about text that isn't the least bit entertaining.
  3. Hanseowu
    Oct 4, 2011
    6
    Too many dialogue! Leveling up pins is an uphill battle. I love the importance of fashion in this game though and the background. A lot of people think it is nice once in a while to have a storyline in an urban area like Shibuya instead of some mythical lands etc. Rather than this game, I'd recommend Shin megami tensei devil survivor 1 & 2.
  4. rubin
    Mar 20, 2012
    5
    Finished playing TWEWY yesterday. I can safely say that this is the single most overrated game I've ever played. No, it isn't BAD, but for the amount of acclaim it receives, I'd definitely expected much, much more. My main grief lays within the combat itself. You collect pins which provide your main character with special powers, like casting a path of flames or striking your opponent withFinished playing TWEWY yesterday. I can safely say that this is the single most overrated game I've ever played. No, it isn't BAD, but for the amount of acclaim it receives, I'd definitely expected much, much more. My main grief lays within the combat itself. You collect pins which provide your main character with special powers, like casting a path of flames or striking your opponent with a meteor. Your partner takes the top screen and can be either controlled by CPU or using the D-pad. The battles are conducted in real time. Sounds about good, right? Wrong. The matches are not only extremely boring and repetitive, they also take absolutely 0 brain to play. I button mashed my way to victory from the first day to the last boss included, and this was on HARD difficulty. Don't even get me started on Normal and Easy. The enemies (called The Noise) are of little variety. Well over a half of monster list is hogged by the recolours of the same beasts you have fought at least 3000 times before. There is also a little minigame called Tin Pin Slammer which I guess was added in attempt to prevent the player from falling asleep from boredom. Unfortunately, it is so bad it is almost physically painful to play, and worst of all, the games DOES force you to play it at least a few times during the storyline, and trust me - you will hate it. To keep this review from being a mudsling-fest, the gameplay admittedly does have a few shining points. One good part is the importance fashion plays in this game. Each zone of the Shibuya has trends going in it, which determine how powerful the pins are in the battle. Strong brands have their attack doubled, whereas weak brands - halved. There are also tons of fashion items to buy and collect from the in-game designer shops, which work just like your typical RPG armour and provide additional perks to your character. Next, the plot. If you've read the manga "Duds Hunt", well, TWEWY is basically it, expect toned down to keep the 12+ age rating. Square Enix went a bit overboard with the dialog, but since the characters are fairly likeable you will read through them anyway, if only to learn more about their backstory. The A/V is a bit of a mixed bag. Unlike most DS games (hell, most games in general) TWEWY uses full recorded songs with lyrics. While the idea itself is fresh, the hip-hop / j-pop / j-rock beats might not suit everyone's tastes and there is no way to turn them off. The graphics are in 2D and have aged badly since 2008, but I'm not much of a graphics whore so it didn't matter that much. At the end of the day, TWEWY it's an interesting concept ruined by horrible gameplay. Stay away from it if you value gameplay over story (like you should) and for those looking for a good plot, go to your local book store and buy some good literature.… Expand
  5. ricklongo
    Mar 14, 2013
    5
    This was likely my biggest disappointment in the DS, especially given the excellent reviews it got. The World Ends With You is a wannabe RPG that tries to be unique and goes too far. The dialogue is tedious and often meaningless (and there's no way to skip it), the gameplay is repetitive, the screen is incredibly convoluted at all times, and the setting, while showing promise, ends up aThis was likely my biggest disappointment in the DS, especially given the excellent reviews it got. The World Ends With You is a wannabe RPG that tries to be unique and goes too far. The dialogue is tedious and often meaningless (and there's no way to skip it), the gameplay is repetitive, the screen is incredibly convoluted at all times, and the setting, while showing promise, ends up a drag to anyone who doesn't have a particularly big interest in the fashion and habits of Japanese teens.

    Admittedly, the storyline is delightfully weird, if not particularly well presented (see the boring dialogue comment above), and is likely the best part of the game. However, the gimmicky gameplay makes it difficult to actually see it through the end.    … Expand
  6. TharosTheDragon
    Aug 6, 2015
    6
    The unique combat system plays like a dream, and the stylized atmosphere is also unique. But it's definitely dialogue-heavy, which can be a turn-off for many gamers. It's ultimately too slow for me.
  7. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 1, 2023
    5
    Highly regarded in some quarters, but this self-consciously "cool" pseudo-RPG did little for me. The constant pop music is irritating, the cut scenes nothing more than an endless stream of speech bubbles and the game itself just seemed to consist of one screen of "scribble and stab the touch screen until the baddies are dead" after another. Meh.

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best DS Game of 2008
2
#2 Most Discussed DS Game of 2008
4
#4 Most Shared DS Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. GamePro
    90
    The briskly moving plot and the unique battle system adds up yet another winner for Square Enix. [May 2008, p.82]
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  2. Thunderbolt
    90
    As far as handheld RPGs go, it doesn’t get much more original than this.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Power
    90
    Thw World Ends with You may not have a big name like "Final Fantasy" or "Kingdom Hearts" attached to it, but it certainly deserves the same kind of success. [May 2008, p.87]
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