NEO: The World Ends With You

Players coming in fresh to Neo: The World Ends with You might have a 14-year history to contend with, but that won’t stop them from falling in love with Shibuya. Whether it’s the complex and likable characters, the wickedly twisting storyline, or the frenetic yet strategic combat system, the long-awaited sequel has a lot to offer fans of action RPGs and the cult-classic series alike. Whether it was worth the wait depends on how long you’ve been waiting, but newcomers shouldn’t shy away from this fantastic game.

I can’t sing the praises of NEO: The World Ends with You enough. It has both style and substance, with fun characters, energetic gameplay, and gorgeous visuals. There was never a dull moment throughout my time writing this review; it had virtually no lows — only high highs. NEO: The World Ends with You is everything a fan of the series could ever ask for in a sequel. This isn’t just only the best JRPG released in 2021 so far, but perhaps one of the best games this year, period. It’s simply incredible.

NEO: The World Ends With You was worth the wait. Its brilliant narrative matches its stylish design and fast-paced battle system making it difficult to put down. The game's development is fueled by the love of the fans, and it shows during every moment of gameplay. While playing, the gap between entries disappeared, and I was transported back to this fantasy Shibuya, hanging out with friends and going on a truly memorable adventure.

NEO: The World Ends With You is the groundbreaking sequel of a classic game, and it lives up to their name. A good plot full of twists, interesting characters and the best soundtrack that you will find in a videogame this year are some of the ingredients that make NEO: TWEWY a great game that any JRPG fan should enjoy.

This is one of the most stylish and heartfelt games I’ve had the pleasure of playing in years. It gave me everything I was looking for, and so much more I didn’t even know I wanted.

It’s endlessly charming, has an in-depth combat system that feels great to learn, and constantly goes above and beyond what the original did. I am praying that it sees the success it deserves, because this wonderful world can’t end here.

Breathing new life into the series while respecting what made it great to begin with, Neo: The World Ends With You is everything fans dreamed of. There’s still room for surprises though with some crafty battle mechanics, dark story twists, and a densely packed and beautifully stylised version of Shibuya to explore. A fantastic return for the cult classic RPG series.

NEO: The World Ends With You does a wonderful job recapturing what made this formula work so well on the DS, but in a more approachable way. If there’s one game in this duology I’ll ever find myself revisiting, it’ll definitely be this one. Few other games come close to conveying this kind of rebellious style in every aspect of its design, and NEO completely lived up to what I wanted from a TWEWY sequel.

When I played The World Ends with You on my Nintendo DS back in 2008, I was struck by how vibrant and wonderfully unique the game is. I’d hoped for more for years, especially after teases found in the ports. Now we’re back in Shibuya for NEO TWEWY, and it is the sequel the original deserved. Yet, at the same time, it stands tall on its own merits and is a welcoming experience for people completely unfamiliar with the series.

I had high expectations for NEO: The World Ends With You, after its predecessor left such a big impact on me when it first released. Fourteen years later, TWEWY's still got it, defying all expectations as an exciting, enthralling, and genuinely enjoyable follow-up worthy of the title it holds. It's hard to imagine another game that would tick as many boxes as this one did for me, and much like the original, I'll be playing, rewinding, and replaying some more for years to come.

NEO: The World Ends With You impresses in all the categories we were terrified it could fail in. The game boasts an energetic soundtrack that feeds off the energy of the original, a deep and rewarding combat system that makes a successful leap to 3D, an inspiring cast of characters that stand tall on their own, and importantly, a world that begs you to come back even after you’ve finished the 40+ hour campaign. After 13 long years, many fans lost hope we’d ever see a sequel to that first Reapers Game, but we’re so pleased to see these talented developers never lost their calling.

NEO: The World Ends With You is a unique, eye-catching and entertaining JRPG that prioritizes charm, fun, and accessibility above all.

A delightful anime RPG somewhere between Persona and DanganRonpa, that noticeably relies a little too much on the excellent predecessor.

All in all, NEO: The World Ends with You manages to escape the pitfall of being a period piece by taking the Heathers approach to youth culture and focusing more on capturing the feeling of youth than trying to accurately portray the ever-shifting trends. It has a fun cast, an interesting story, and a much more straightforward battle system with room to spend ages gathering collectibles and getting your pin load-out just right. Unfortunately, its cast is generally more well-adjusted than the original game’s traumatized teenagers, meaning that this game doesn’t hit quite as hard as the original The World Ends with You.

A great sequel for a very special action RPG. NEO: The Worlds Ends With You is exactly the kind of new game that the fans wanted.

The soundtrack is monotonous, the menus are a slog, and it often becomes too easy to button-mash to victory. But otherwise, NEO: The World Ends with You is a really cleverly designed game that packs a fantastic amount of content into a small game world, and that even stays true continuing into the postgame. An engaging narrative that successfully expands upon the world of the original brings the entire experience together, and the final result is another inimitably unique action RPG from Square Enix.

Some minor flaws aside, Neo: The World Ends with You greatly fixes the hot mess of a control scheme from its predecessor and delivers a worthy sequel with excellent art and storytelling. Constant changes to gameplay and twists in the story will keep you engaged throughout.

As much as I enjoyed NEO, there were a few aspects that worked against it: the characters, the difficulty levels and the time between installments. It's a great action RPG, but it was made for the TWEWY fan in mind, so if you've never played the original, do that first and see if it's up your alley before diving into this sequel. And if you are a TWEWY fan, what are you waiting for? [Issue #55 – October 2021, p. 69]

NEO: The World Ends With You does a lot right. It provides incredible style and a solid combat system. The story is entertaining, and the characters almost feel like old friends after how much we’ve been through together. Its many systems may seem daunting at first, but they provide a lot for you to chip away at. While I wish it did a better job of respecting the player’s time and that certain elements offered a bit more variety, any fan of the original will want to beat a quick trip to Shibuya. New players will still find a lot to like, but may be better served checking out the original first, or at least watching the anime adaptation released earlier this year.

In some ways, it’s disheartening that Neo: The World Ends With You doesn’t evolve much from its predecessor. It may even feel like a step back, but there’s still a fun game here that I had trouble putting down. The world draws you in, the boss battles provide a worthy challenge, and I loved watching the relationships between characters grow. There’s also some excellent payoff for fans of the first game. Exploring Shibuya and dropping the beat is still a delight, and the music captivates you in the best way.

Fans and newcomers alike are going to be enthralled by NEO: The World Ends with You, that rare belated follow up to a beloved cult classic that manages to live up to, and even exceed, the original.

The manga art style, edgy music, and interesting premise make this a fun game for any player. Help Rindo and his team escape the "Reapers' Game" and meet a colorful cast of characters in the process.

NEO: The World Ends With You is a good J-RPG mixing a nice graphic style, a dynamic gameplay in combat and an excellent soundtrack. Its story will allow you to immerse yourself in this not so wonderful world that awaits you after your death while learning more about this famous game in Shibuya. Its content is worthy of an A-RPG since it guarantees you a good fifty hours of easy play if you take your time.

Those looking for a very different kind of JRPG experience will like what they see with NEO: The World Ends With You.

NEO: The World Ends with You is a sequel worth waiting for.

Through its meticulous artistic direction and its urban universe full of charms, NEO The World Ends With You manages to offer a pleasant adventure that will delight lovers of Japanese culture. We enjoy discovering the Shibuya district in its every nook and cranny and enjoying the many shops it includes. The ride is all the more enjoyable as it offers a story full of twists and turns and endearing characters. Ultimately, it is more at the level of the combat system that the limits are felt. If the latter is rather pleasant and nervous at first, the lack of depth ends up making the clashes really repetitive in the long run. Still, nothing to spoil this 20-hour straight-line tour of Shibuya that will delight those who appreciate the style of Nomura and Action-RPGs.

NEO: The World Ends With You may not be as great as its predecessor, but it's still a good game in its own right.

Despite my gripes and the number of ways NEO TWEWY almost stunts my enthusiasm for it, I'm glad it exists. I can live with the lulls along the way for the memorable moments the journey gave me. And I can still wish it did more with its storytelling while loving its personalities, extraordinary sense of style, and connections to the original. I can also find value in the age-old question it posits: What good is a place you love without the people who matter most? Many stories have asked and answered this--and maybe the game puts too neat of a bow on it--but I find the way NEO TWEWY answers the question the most satisfying part of the experience.

NEO: The World Ends With You is the sequel that fans of the original game have been waiting for. However, being so continuist in its combat and exploration system makes it feel like a game out of time, which could have done much better with a deeper revamp. Losing the Nintendo DS touch screen also hurts its combat. Its beauty and visual personality at all times, along with a colorful story and characters, will make you fall in love and always want to know more.

NEO: The World Ends With You is a sequel that leans heavily on recapturing what made the original so special. That’s to its benefit in some ways, such as its vivacious depiction of Shibuya, its incredible soundtrack, and its stylish, flowing combat system, but to its detriment in others. Its story satisfies me as someone who had been waiting 14 years for answers to The World Ends With You’s most tantalizing plot threads, but it pays for that resolution by sidelining its new central cast and forgoing a hard-hitting, emotional story of its own.

NEO: The World Ends with You hits the highest of highs, but has its fair share of lows. At its best, it's a worthy follow-up to one of the 2000's most beloved RPGs. With style to spare, engaging gameplay, huge replayability and a strong plot, there's plenty to love with Rindo's trip to the Reaper's Game. Yet, we can't ignore the sheer tedium the game constantly displays, especially towards its back half. Repetitive missions, damage sponge enemies that are often stronger than bosses and an obnoxious time travel mechanic all bog down what could have been one of the best games of the year. If you're a longtime fan of the original, playing this is a no brainer. If this is your first time in Shibuya, you're better off catching up and keeping your expectations tempered.

Ultra-stylised visuals and creatively crafted combat are the reasons to dive into the world of Shibuya. The quirky cast, muddled music and lengthy visual novel-esque text sequences? Not so much. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

If you’re in the mood for something weird, different looking and of the RPG variety, give it a go. For those wanting an easy, predictable game to settle into - ignore.