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. Fraxxo
    Sep 9, 2023
    8
    One of the most stylish games I've ever played, it really encapsulate what the first years of the 21th century felt like.
    The art style and the way Tokyo is portayed and explorable is pure art, the soundtrack goes harder than your dad's belt, the gameplay is one of the more fun I've ever seen on the DS.
    To complete the game at 100% you really have to go all out, something even I couldn't    One of the most stylish games I've ever played, it really encapsulate what the first years of the 21th century felt like.
    The art style and the way Tokyo is portayed and explorable is pure art, the soundtrack goes harder than your dad's belt, the gameplay is one of the more fun I've ever seen on the DS.
    To complete the game at 100% you really have to go all out, something even I couldn't do, but since the main campaign isn't really long at least you'll have a lot to do in order to really feel like you've finished with your journey through Tokyo chaotic and fresh streets.
    Sadly, story and characters don't exactly live up to the rest of the game, but if you can settle for a plot that's just "Ok" and play this gem to experience everything else about it, you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  2. NEKU_
    Aug 16, 2023
    10
    I honestly can't say more than that IT'S AN INCREDIBLE GAME It's one of the best games I've ever played I admit that I don't like JRPG RPGs but this game I fell in love with its characters, its art, its fighting system, simply incredible, I admit that every time I they revealed something my face was amazed because it is something that even if you have 200000iq it is impossible to know thatI honestly can't say more than that IT'S AN INCREDIBLE GAME It's one of the best games I've ever played I admit that I don't like JRPG RPGs but this game I fell in love with its characters, its art, its fighting system, simply incredible, I admit that every time I they revealed something my face was amazed because it is something that even if you have 200000iq it is impossible to know that it would happen very well developed and FOR ME THE BEST GAME I HAVE PLAYED… Expand
  3. 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.
  4. Pepeveraz
    Jul 29, 2022
    9
    As a player who passed the game once I think the story and gameplay are very good, I understood the story at first, but I feel like it has a lot of text
  5. Ff1705
    Jan 12, 2022
    8
    it has a story that encourages you to continue and the art is incredible, if you have a ds or a 3ds get the game and enjoy it
  6. JimPickens
    Dec 25, 2021
    10
    The World Ends With You or "TWEWY" is a game that so masterfully utilizes being a DS game that I truly can't see it working on a different console, and I know that's true because they put it on other consoles and it wasn't as good.

    TWEWY follows a teenage boy named Neku Skakakabauab whatever his name is, a young anti-social kid who blocks the world out with his nice purple headphones,    The World Ends With You or "TWEWY" is a game that so masterfully utilizes being a DS game that I truly can't see it working on a different console, and I know that's true because they put it on other consoles and it wasn't as good.

    TWEWY follows a teenage boy named Neku Skakakabauab whatever his name is, a young anti-social kid who blocks the world out with his nice purple headphones, from the first moment of the game he makes it clear he doesn't want anything to do with anybody, which might be somewhat difficult as he's forcibly paired up with a girl named Shiki to fight these weird monsters called "Noise" using Pins, yes they use pins to do stuff like cast fire, electric, punch real hard, and use telekinetic powers and much more, funky concept I know. To use pins you have to use the DS Stylus in different ways on the bottom screen, all the while controlling your partner with the face buttons on the top screen, this is where the games challenge comes from, multitasking both characters on either screen, and it can take a while to get used to, but Shiki isn't too hard, just don't spam random buttons and you'll be fine. Shiki's attacks require you to put in button combos 3 times to get 3 cards so you can perform a big screen nuke together, it can be a overwhelming at first but you'll get the hang of it eventually. Making sure Neku has updated pins is also quite confusing, I handicapped myself for a few hours because I was using trash pins when I had much better ones in my inventory, keeping Neku up to date is necessary to win, as well as kitting him and Shiki out with new clothes to raise his passive stats. Shiki isn't the only party member though, the game is split up into Weeks, and each week brings a new companion, your second companion is Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu, a flamboyant kid with great hair and weird beam powers, the first day with Joshua can be quite rough as his combat isn't half as good as Shiki's, but once you get past a certain point he starts cleaning house, to the point I was neglecting Neku and nearly dying because their joined health bar was getting too low. On week 3 you pair up with Beat, a loud abrasive, beanie wearing angel who I would die for, his combat... sucks, it's weird and confusing and he's the only one I ended up just button mashing through, his section is short enough and Neku's pins should be good enough that you can stumble through with brute force. As well as your three buddies you also get to meet Rhyme, an adorable small angel who I would ALSO die for, Uzaki and Kariya, your resident Jessie and James of this game and both are very fun, Sho Minamimoto, NEO fans will recognize him as a returning character in that game, Mr. Hanekoma, a man I wish was my dad, and a bunch of villains all equally as punchable, All in all a pretty great cast.

    The crux of TWEWY's story revolves around Neku breaking out of his anti-social shell with the help of everybody around him, being a Player in the Reapers Game allows him to hear others thoughts, this helps Neku to grow more empathetic, as he's forced to understand others in order to progress, while his new friends push him forward. It can be quite a powerful story if you relate to Neku's anti-sociable attitude, and even if you don't watching Neku go from an irritable closed off loner to somebody who genuinely cares for others and would risk everything for those people is great, a very heartwarming story.

    The World Ends With You is one of my favourite DS games ever and I'm so happy it got the sequel it deserved, I hope this series continues to rise in popularity, it really does deserve more than the cult following it currently has. If you have a DS I can't urge you to play this game on the original hardware enough, I think it's gameplay really does rely heavily on being a DS game and attempts to move it to other platforms simply don't match up. TWEWY is the golden standard for DS games in my eyes and a game I'll sing the praises of until the heat death of the universe.    … Expand
  7. Icsdy
    Jul 26, 2021
    10
    Masterpiece, The best ds game and rpg ive ever played. It has style and the writing is either well done or so ridiculously over the top it's funny
  8. Nintendoforlife
    Feb 10, 2021
    10
    usually jrpgs are not my thing. but when I saw this game, I felt a special connection I had never felt before. the game itself called out to me. good think I got it. art style? 10/10. soundtrack? legendary 11/10. gameplay? INSANELY FUN. just please do yourself a favor and GET. THIS. GAME. if you have to, buy an entire ds or ds lite to play this game. just freaking play it already!!!!!!!!!!!!
  9. cloudy_wolf7
    Dec 27, 2020
    10
    One of the best, if not the best NDS game, imo. controls have steep learning curve for sure, as you will need to switch your focus on 2 screens. touch controls are very responsive, you'll just have to be mindful of the pins that you are using, to make sure none of them works against each other.
    The story is great, the presentation, the soundtrack are really perfect. However, the most    One of the best, if not the best NDS game, imo. controls have steep learning curve for sure, as you will need to switch your focus on 2 screens. touch controls are very responsive, you'll just have to be mindful of the pins that you are using, to make sure none of them works against each other.
    The story is great, the presentation, the soundtrack are really perfect. However, the most important part of the game, is its message, and its perspective to IRL society. It's a must play for all gamers at least once, for its uniqueness. There is no other game, literally that would play the same as TWEWY.    … Expand
  10. Juuppa
    Dec 14, 2020
    8
    To be honest, the Nintendo DS in my opinion didn't have that many good games, but my opinion on it not having good games was changed after I played The world ends with you.

    TWEWY makes excellent use of the DSs duel screens with you controlling Neku on the bottom screen using the stylus and a partner on the top screen using the D-pad. While this may turn players who aren't used to multi    To be honest, the Nintendo DS in my opinion didn't have that many good games, but my opinion on it not having good games was changed after I played The world ends with you.

    TWEWY makes excellent use of the DSs duel screens with you controlling Neku on the bottom screen using the stylus and a partner on the top screen using the D-pad. While this may turn players who aren't used to multi tasking, you are able to make your partner fight own their own while you focus on on the bottom screen. Personally I played the game by focusing on the bottom screen and letting my partner run wild on the top screen. While that may make me not so qualified to review this game, but that feature is in the game for a reason. Of course the game has problems that are personalized to the player in terms of did you play the game by multi tasking or focusing on the bottom screen. For the bottom screen problems the biggest is that sometimes the ai of your partner is kinda dumb, but that doesn't take away from this absolute master piece.

    Personally I enjoyed the game, recommend the game to every one who is able to play it and am happy to add it to my gallery of my favorite games of all time.    … Expand
  11. tom974
    Jul 18, 2020
    10
    Best DS game so far from my point of view. It's unique, original, deep story, troubling but dynamic gameplay. Never have I played such an original A-RPG. Solid postgame, the difficulty can be adjusted at every moment and that's an excellent option to have.
  12. cesc_larenas
    Jul 9, 2020
    10
    Story, music, graphics, refreshing gameplay, everything in this game it's just perfect and is one of the greatest JRPG on history.
  13. EmCza
    Jul 5, 2020
    10
    For me this game is one of the best on NDS and the best jRPG of all time (I really dislike this genre, but games like this one are good exception).
  14. Teaman
    Jun 23, 2020
    9
    A good JRPG with unique game mechanics. Besides the annoying badge leveling system and balance between various badges, everything is perfect in this game.
  15. Tyrant719
    Apr 10, 2020
    3
    This game is the epitome of overhype. Did they need to sell a bunch of units so they got a bunch of good reviews pumped out? How is this supposed to be a fun game? I would love to just have ANY idea of what the hell is going on. The storytelling is loose at best. Not giving the viewer information does not make something mysterious or interesting, it’s just bad writing. I feel like peopleThis game is the epitome of overhype. Did they need to sell a bunch of units so they got a bunch of good reviews pumped out? How is this supposed to be a fun game? I would love to just have ANY idea of what the hell is going on. The storytelling is loose at best. Not giving the viewer information does not make something mysterious or interesting, it’s just bad writing. I feel like people just give this game good reviews to pretend to be apart of some exclusive club that “gets” something the rest of us idiots don’t understand. Right. Bad game.… Expand
  16. BarbieGal
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    Great game, honestly the best RPG for the Nintedo Ds, Great characters, good plot twists and a great story
  17. AndriiShvaika
    May 30, 2019
    10
    This is the best game i have ever played. Really, you won't find anything like this masterpiece, in this game a lot of new mechanics and they work very well. Of course TWEWY has minuses, but who cares if you won't don't pay attention to them. **** in this game grinding is interesting too, so i highly recommend to play this game , you won't regret, trust me and your partner)
  18. tyano123
    Dec 8, 2018
    9
    It is one of best DS games. Square Enix nailed it. I the story and the game play is awesome. You will also fell in love with the characters. The soundtracks is really astonishing. Great game indeed. I highly recommend it.
  19. Kitsunee2
    Oct 22, 2018
    10
    This game is gorgeous, I love it all! The aesthetic, the soundtrack, the characters, the town, everything.
    This game is just perfect.
  20. GAMERGUYCASUAL
    Sep 10, 2018
    10
    The World Ends With You is a fantastic example of a great JRPG everyone should give it a shot however don't buy the mobile version as it is $18 The story is great the characters are likable and the gameplay is fresh and fun.
  21. GundamBoy
    Jun 7, 2018
    10
    Great game for the DS and one of the best games made by Square Enix. If you like JRPG and haven't tried this game yet, go for it.
  22. BasilZero
    Jun 11, 2017
    9
    Game: The World Ends With You
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Squareenix System: Nintendo DS (NDS) Total Score: 91/100 Value Score: 9.1/10 Length of Playthrough: 25 Hours • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 7/10 • Graphics: 10/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 10/10 • Length: 8/10 • Replay Value: 7/10 • Player Value: 9/10 Pros +Fantastic plot and characters +Great setting    Game: The World Ends With You
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Squareenix
    System: Nintendo DS (NDS)
    Total Score: 91/100
    Value Score: 9.1/10

    Length of Playthrough: 25 Hours

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 7/10
    • Graphics: 10/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 10/10
    • Length: 8/10
    • Replay Value: 7/10
    • Player Value: 9/10

    Pros
    +Fantastic plot and characters
    +Great setting and great art style
    +One of the best OSTs ever
    +Multiple difficulties
    +Interact with players or if you have certain Pins equipped while not playing, the number of days decide how many PP (Pin Points) you get to level the Pins.
    +Replay value includes the option to replay older chapters (days) to do special missions to get Secret Reports which explain the story a bit more

    Cons
    -The "Stride Cross Battle System" is complex and can be irritating at times especially since your ally on the top screen can cost you a fight
    -The major mini game Tin Pin is pretty horrible and gameplay is very complex/annoying
    -Touch screen controls is hit and miss type of deal with some commands not being read    … Expand
  23. Kamiyasi
    Feb 26, 2017
    10
    For me, the World Ends With You is a perfect game. The story and characters are among the most fun and engaging I've ever seen in a game, and the story progresses in a manner that's perfectly paced and puts you on the edge of your seat. The atmosphere of TWEWY oozes style. Everything from the music to the graphics and visual style absorb you in the games rich, urban world of mystery andFor me, the World Ends With You is a perfect game. The story and characters are among the most fun and engaging I've ever seen in a game, and the story progresses in a manner that's perfectly paced and puts you on the edge of your seat. The atmosphere of TWEWY oozes style. Everything from the music to the graphics and visual style absorb you in the games rich, urban world of mystery and beauty. The combat is amazing with the touch controls and top screen partner gameplay working flawlessly. There are so many pins to collect and level that the gameplay has endless variety. I can't think of anything that could have made TWEWY better than it already is.… Expand
  24. InsertTitleHere
    Nov 1, 2016
    10
    Very fun yet odd JRPG, has a somewhat stereotypical storyline where the character learns to trust people, make friends, etc. But the gameplay is what really got me into this game. I can pick up this game anytime and still have tons of fun for hours on end. It gets somewhat repetitive, but for JRPG, it has much variety, from attacks, clothes, to food. There is a lot of fun in replaying thisVery fun yet odd JRPG, has a somewhat stereotypical storyline where the character learns to trust people, make friends, etc. But the gameplay is what really got me into this game. I can pick up this game anytime and still have tons of fun for hours on end. It gets somewhat repetitive, but for JRPG, it has much variety, from attacks, clothes, to food. There is a lot of fun in replaying this game, i have replayed it at least twice, my friend even replayed it 5 times and is considering it again. If you are a fan of obscure JRPG's, and are willing to either mash through a lot of text or get into the storyline, this is a game for you. My only complaint with the game is that there's no sequel!… Expand
  25. Ragnamaxima
    May 25, 2016
    9
    With a great premise filled with interesting characters, fun and creative gameplay and a fantastic soundtrack, this game is something special indeed. The only issues with it are that you can´t skip any cut-scenes, which ultimately reduces the replay value, and on very few occasions the game did not respond correctly to the touch controls. But these are minor flaws in an otherwise excellent game.
  26. DanHazy
    Feb 29, 2016
    10
    So you will know what type of gamer is writing this review, I'll list three of my favorite games.

    Danganronpa  Atelier Totori Fire emblem THE GOOD: MUSIC: Music is top notch, from rock and roll to rap music.  GRAPHICS: The art style is unique, most everyone is skin and bones. The graphics are what you would expect from Nintendo DS. This game also has a unique vibe that you    So you will know what type of gamer is writing this review, I'll list three of my favorite games.

    Danganronpa 
    Atelier Totori
    Fire emblem

    THE GOOD:

    MUSIC: Music is top notch, from rock and roll to rap music. 

    GRAPHICS: The art style is unique, most everyone is skin and bones. The graphics are what you would expect from Nintendo DS. This game also has a unique vibe that you will only get from this game. A somewhat emo thug feel.

    GAMEPLAY: The game play is awesome and the level up system is great. I'll delve more in to gameplay further down.
     
    STORY: The story is awesome. Above the usual.

    ENDGAME CONTENT: There are extra bonuses once a play through has been completed, which allows you to unlock some extra story. 

    GAME LENGTH: About 20 to 25 hours long but that doesn't include the endgame content.

    THE BAD:

    There is nothing bad to list in my opinion.
     

    IN DEPTH REVIEW:

    The game play breakdown is this, you control two different characters, each on their own screen. The top screen is your partners screen where you use the cross pad or the buttons to control them. They can attack by pressing left or right, and can jump, block, or dodge by pressing down and up on the cross pad. You can build up a special move to unleash on the top screen by various methods throughout the game. They are fairly simple to build up, but can sometimes get to be too much when you also trying to pay attention to the bottom screen so you may just want to put your partner on auto pilot. You can turn this future on and off whenever you like. 

    The protagonist has the bottom screen in combat. He can attack using pins, which are basically moves he can use by different methods of using the stylus, such as tapping an enemy or scratching an area or slashing across the protagonist to fire bullets in the direction of the slash. There are many pins which you can upgrade and sometimes evolve. One even requires you to shout into the microphone of the DS. The protagonist can also dash by being dragged with the stylus which makes him invulnerable during the dash. 

    The level up system is very nice also. You can level up the pins which will sometimes evolve. You can also feed the protagonist and partner which boost their stats permanently. You also can equip four different items to the characters which increase stats and sometimes a ability such as extra defense or more experience gained in battle and many others. 

    That wraps this review up, a truly great game that I would recommend to anyone. You can even find it in Gamestop quiet often for a rather cheap price.    … Expand
  27. Hnarqu
    Dec 29, 2015
    9
    SO much awesome is jam-packed into one tiny cartage. The music, style, game-play, and plot-twists kept me playing until the very end.
    The only thing I don't like is how to get a couple of the pins, through a defunct online system or a social system. As a completionist it irks me that I can't really get that 100% for the pins.
  28. 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.
  29. iipotato
    Jul 22, 2015
    10
    There is no game out there like TWEWY, for a fact.

    The game's got upbeat, hip hop/street music, graphics resemble that of a manga or comic, and the combat is like no other. The combat consists of multitasking and fighting as two players -- slashing and tapping the bottom screen while using the ABXY/DPad for the top screen. The battling is addicting, the characters are unique, and the    There is no game out there like TWEWY, for a fact.

    The game's got upbeat, hip hop/street music, graphics resemble that of a manga or comic, and the combat is like no other. The combat consists of multitasking and fighting as two players -- slashing and tapping the bottom screen while using the ABXY/DPad for the top screen. The battling is addicting, the characters are unique, and the storyline is surprising.

    TWEWY is remarkably different than any other JRPG game, because you can't find a game with the same feel or combat as this one has. But that's the one con of this game; you'll be sad that there is no TWEWY sequel to enjoy after finishing this one. Square Enix, whyyy!! :'(    … Expand
  30. TheStig3136
    Dec 28, 2014
    9
    At first I figured that this was another one of those dumb cheapy games. I was wrong! The story was very creative and amazing! The gameplay was quite nice also. Not much replayability though. After you beat it there are just some extras that aren't my taste.
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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

All reviews »
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]
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »