Full circle
Square Enix has been making RPGs for pretty much ever, and the whole spiky-haired, teen angst phenomenon is most likely their fault. Needless to say, the whole thing has been overplayed, and in many situations just feels wrong or unnecessary. Fortunately, The World Ends With You is here to set the record straight, and show us that the "teen angst" vibe doesn't need to be a narrative cop out. Square Enix has finally brought their own story-telling mechanics full circle, and the result is a game that truly shines.
In many ways, the narrative of The World Ends With You is nothing more than a collection of tired cliches, one piled on top of the other. But the game's unwillingness to take these things for granted brings about story and character developments that are easy to understand and sympathize with (even if you aren't an angsty teen yourself). It paints such a clear picture of the characters and their struggles, making it that much easier to root for them as they consciously strive to better understand the world around them. The game's setting in modern Japan's Shibuya district only helps matters, as the characters never feel out of place like they often do in the fantasy settings of many RPGs. It's hard to imagine another setting capturing the game's eccentric happenings so vividly as this modern, pop-culture focused backdrop.
Shibuya has even a larger impact on proceedings, as the local fashion trends and foods all play heavily into not only the story, but also the gameplay mechanics. What you wear and eat contribute directly to your characters' performances in battle, which help make the world that much more seamless. The battle engine in The World Ends With You shows how a few new ideas like these, along with the game's touch screen actions and dual character nature, can lead to a completely fresh battle system that is easily distinguishable from its peers. RPGs would do well to take such risks with combat systems, but that's not to say that combat in The World Ends With You is perfect. Controlling two characters at once can be a little too hectic at times, and the game will occasionally have trouble recognizing your wide array of touch screen actions. Even so, battles are just a blast, and even with their quirks they never seem to wear thin during the course of the game.
And those are only the highlights. The World Ends With You makes numerous other interesting, smart design choices- it offers fully customizable "risk versus reward" difficulty sliders that can be changed at any point during the game, it's paced perfectly to fit within that glorious 20-25 hour range, and the game's atmosphere-conscious soundtrack fits the bill so perfectly. This game is the real deal, and I rarely found myself disappointed with any aspect of the the thing. It takes practically every overused RPG mechanic there ever was, breaks them down, and rebuilds them into something that feels completely different. No longer should we have to endure staple emo protagonists and rehashed battle systems in our RPGs. The World Ends With You is that next step forward, one future RPGs would do well to keep in mind.
For additional information on my review style and scoring system, click here.
