An Interesting, must-have RPG.
Let's face it: Every RPG we have played doesn't get as intruiging as The World Ends With You. As I was playing this, I found it to be a fresh game that didn't follow traditional RPG's and the compelling story just pulled me in. The World Ends With You is about a kid name Neku who doesn't seem to "Get" people and pushes them away. He also seems to like graffiti in Shibuya. One day, he ends up waking up in Shibuya, or at least what seems to be a normal day at the Scramble Crossing. Soon, you find out that he is able to read people's minds with a pin he finds (when he wakes up) and that it appears that his memory has been altered (though he still detests people). You also find out that he's in The Reaper's Game, and now, he has to deal with a partner he doesn't care about and survival with that partner.
Soon, you are introduced to the combat of the game for Neku, and later, for your partner. This is where the game could throw people off. The gameplay can be tricky in combat as you have to pay attention to the health bar how you are dealing with NOISE (enemies in the game). Truth to be told, it's not that tricky and it can be mastered. Also, you will unlock easy mode near the start of the game and if you think the game is too hard, this option will help out for the time being. Doing the game on Hard (which you will get later) will give you an oportunity to get rare pins and more experience.
This RPG does battles differently. There are no random battles, but you can scan the area for Noise and do battle with them. Doing more Consecutive battles not only gives more EXP, but more Pin EXP. Pins upgrade as you battle and some can evolve where they do more damage. Since there's a good number a pins in the game, there's a good amount of customization for Neku's way of fighting in the battles. Another good feature is different ways of upgrading pins, like just turning off the game. When you don't play for a certain number of days (up to 7), you get points.
As you defeat Noise, and level up as well, you can alter your level so that you get more pin drops after each battle. Earning money in the game isn't a problem as it's a fairly simple concept (It's a pin also; you just drag it to the trash to earn money). Another interesting thing in the game is how one type of fashion can affect your Pins and clothes (defense and bonuses). If your pin isn't part of the fashion, it becomes weak. Another thing is food. Whenever you eat food, it takes time to digest (in short, the number of battles you have to go through), and there's a certain limit to how much you can eat. Also, food provides temporary and permanent bonuses for the characters, such as defense +1 and Health +8 and so forth (the bonuses get bigger later in the game).
Story-wise, you go through seven days with your partner and you discover what The Reaper's Game is all about and what happens when you enter and leave. At times, the game provides comedic relief with your partner and the scenario for that day, but you also get a darker tone as you progress through the story, as you find out something about Neku and other major characters.
In short, this game is a must-have for DS owners, though the only turn-off from the game is the difficulty as the game may find ways to make it harder when you progress later. Even when you finish the story, you can go back to the different days so that you can try to get pins, clothes, and other bonuses. Plus, when you finish, the game once again provides comedic relief by giving you "Another Day".
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