By Isabella Keo Phal
Ever since modding my Nintendo 3DS at the start of January this year, I have had access to multiple games, all of which have been very entertaining for me. But one game stood out to me the most, with gameplay so unique that if it were compared to most video games today, it would probably knock them out of the park. That game, of course, would be The World Ends with You. Co-developed by Square Enix and Jupiter Corporation, the action role-playing (RPG) game was released in Japan in July 2007, and later in North America in April 2008. Interestingly, the translation of the Japanese title is “It’s a Wonderful World,” but the game is acknowledged more often by its localized title by fans.
Set in modern Japan, we’re first introduced to Neku Sakuraba, our main protagonist. In the opening scene of the game, Neku can be seen moving through crowds in different locations. However, his thoughts are read out loud to the player, providing a clue as to what kind of person he is. Some of his thoughts include, “Shut up,” “Stop talking,” or “Just go the hell away!!!” At the halting stop of it all, what he says next truly exemplifies his whole character: “All the world needs is me. I got my values. . . So you can keep yours, okay?” In the same scene, Neku later wakes up on the floor of Shibuya’s Scramble Crossing. What is strange is that nobody seems to be noticing him or the fact that he allegedly fell asleep in the middle of the street. When he picks himself up, he notices he now has a black-colored pin in his hand with a design of what looks to be a skull. The crossing isn’t the only thing that’s scrambled because now, Neku can suddenly hear a scramble of thoughts belonging to the people around him.
Upon encountering a bunch of frog-like monsters, Neku is helpless until another character, Shiki Misaki, swoops in to teach him how to fight the Noise (that is what they are called). After the fight, it is explained to them that they and other people are in a place that looks like their Shibuya, but isn’t in actuality. The place just happens to be a perfect replica that is otherwise known as the Underground (UG), where the recently deceased end up. Neku and Shiki were given Player Pins, a.k.a. the black pins with the skull-like design on them, that register them into the Reapers’ Game and also let them listen in on the people (and their thoughts) around them. The Reapers’ Game consists of doing daily challenges along with a partner for one week, or they’ll be “erased.” Whoever wins the Reapers’ Game has the possibility of coming back to life.
Most video game protagonists, at least from what I’ve seen, typically have a go-getter, charming personality, with some immediately accepting the dire situation they are in. Neku is clearly different; he’s asocial, he keeps to himself, and it is shown time and time again that he would rather do his own thing. Despite that, it is insisted that he partner up with Shiki and cooperate with her, or he will be at risk of being erased. Of course, he’s going to hate every second of it, and we witness every second of it because we can see his thoughts. That, in a way, makes him a very entertaining character, and arguably, one I can relate to.
As mentioned before, the gameplay is phenomenal. It actually utilizes the Nintendo 3DS’s dual screens for its combat system. You see, you have Neku on the bottom screen and his partner on the top screen. To control Neku, you have to use the touchscreen alongside the 3DS’s stylus. Some touchscreen actions involve dragging him around to avoid enemies, tapping the screen to initiate an attack, and yelling into the console’s microphone. Albeit, this depends on whatever pins you have equipped. Besides the aforementioned player pin, pins that are used in battle are called “psychs.” Psychs allow the player to do whatever it is that the pin allows them to do, such as spawn a sequence of fire. As for the top screen, you have Shiki and her card game mechanic, which is controlled using the D-pad. The mechanic includes matching three card symbols, with the symbols being a cross, circle, and wave. Successfully matching the card symbols will earn one star, and with three, Neku and Shiki will proceed to do a fusion attack that involves both of them attacking the enemy simultaneously. The amount of stars needed for a fusion attack increases each turn.
Now, here comes my real critique of the game, since it is (sadly) not a perfect game all in all. The learning curve that comes with the combat system is pretty difficult, among other mechanics. I am not joking when I say that when it comes to learning how everything works, a block of text will be thrown at you in-game. Did I read it in its entirety the first time? No, and that is how I learned the hard way. It will feel like multitasking at its worst, having to manage both screens as you’re fighting enemies. To be fair, that is what becomes the fun part once you get the hang of it, so the problem cancels itself out. . . Eventually. Another thing is understanding certain story aspects because it feels like there are plot holes in the game. However, this does get solved when you finish the game, since shortly after, you get the chance to unlock Secret Reports; reports that contain information about characters, the general setting, motivations, etc. I just wanted to mention this because I was confused after finishing the game.
I also can’t forget to mention the game’s OST (original soundtrack), as every single song in the game fails to be bad whatsoever. A fun fact: there is a Japanese version and an English version of said soundtrack that is played depending on the language used in-game. Personally, my favorite songs are “It’s a Wonderful World,” “Twister,” “Calling,” and “Transformation.”
Overall, despite its grave-sounding name, The World Ends with You turns out to be an incredibly fun game with unexpected depths of meaning. I really can not say much more about this game, considering how complex it is and how you would just need to play it yourself. If you are worried about not having a modded 3DS or a Nintendo 3DS altogether, the game is also available on the Nintendo Switch.
