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 enlarge | From: Square Enix
Category: Video Games
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $34.95
You Save: $5.04 (13%)
New (31) Used (13) from $29.67
Avg. Customer Rating:  47 reviews
Sales Rank: 650
Platform: Nintendo Ds
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Nintendo DS
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0 x 0
MPN: 90801
UPC: 662248908014
EAN: 0662248908014
ASIN: B00136MBHA
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW - Factory Sealed - Ships out to FIRST CLASS in a padded mailer - thank you very much !!
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| Customer Reviews:
 half fun, half grind August 25, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I'm a big fan of dungeon crawls and RPGs in general. Some of my recent favorites are Rune Factory, Shiren the Wanderer, and the Zelda series. I love games with lots of secrets and long "checklists" of difficult goals to accomplish. I review from this perspective.
TWEWY is quite different than the usual fantasy RPG dungeon crawl I enjoy. The action takes place entirely within an alternate reality version of downtown Tokyo (Shibuya). Despite that fact, I've played over 30 hours now and there are several things about the game that I like. My favorite aspect is the intriguing plot. It reminds me of The Matrix: completely arbitrary, inconsistent, and absurd, and yet somehow the story works so well that you ignore how ridiculous it is. The combat system is innovative, making excellent use of the DS hardware (touch screen, wireless features, etc.). Left-handers will appreciate that fact that TWEWY controls are (nearly) perfectly symmetrical. You are rarely forced into battle without warning -- combat is avoidable, optional, and you can see it coming in most cases. The game has a wide variety of "pins" (weapons) and monsters, both of which break up the monotony of combat somewhat. Also, there's a decent wireless minigame for 1-4 players. Some players will enjoy the "street punk anime" design ethic; I'm neutral on this particular aspect.
But on the downside, the game is highly, highly repetitive, the epitome of a "grind". In many checklist-type games where you "have to have them all", I enjoy finding all the secrets and mastering all the possibilities. Not so in TWEWY. In order to get all the secrets, you would need to grind and grind and grind the same basic combat approximately 5,000 times (no exaggeration) -- and that's if you're good at the combat and know how to maximize the experience you get from it. Yes, the weapons and enemies do change over time, but I'm well past sick of the combat system after 1,000 battles and have given up any notion of "getting them all" and am just focusing on finishing the plot. Moreover, it is simply inconceivable that anyone could find most secrets on their own. For example, "pin evolution" (e.g. creating rare and hidden weapons by evolving them from lower forms) is so convoluted you'd have to be insanely dedicated to explore the evolutionary possibilities on your own, or, do the only sane thing and "cheat" with a hint book or online guide. I looked at an online guide and was glad I did, because it completely disabused me of the notion that I'd enjoy mastering all pins. Many secrets cannot be obtained unless you play via the DS wireless system. Even more secrets cannot be obtained except by *not* playing the game for days or even months on end. (Dozens of secrets only unlock if you leave the game shut down in specific states, and you have to leave it shut down for a *long* time. See my comment on this review below for a spoiler secret which can greatly help ease this frustration.) In short, 99.99% of all gamers simply aren't hard-core enough to enjoy getting all the secrets, and I say this as someone who enjoyed spending 300+ hours unlocking all the arcane secrets from the very difficult Shiren the Wanderer.
My biggest complaint is harder to quantify, which is that I just don't enjoy TWEWY as much as other RPGs. In another RPG, I might enjoy teasing open a long chain of puzzles to unlock a final mystery; but in TWEWY, the inter-twined pins/brands/items system feels very flat and arbitrary. I imagine this is what a good RPG must seem like to someone who doesn't like RPGs. Maybe it's the weird setting, or maybe its the unabashedly massive grind, but for whatever the reason, I plan to finish this game for the plot but don't plan to recommend it to any of my friends.
overrated August 21, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I thought I might like the game based on all the excellent reviews, even at sites like Gamespot. I really wanted to like this as well, especially because of how unique it looked. But unique was as far as it got. There's a reason why Square's FF series was able to survive so long--the formula works. It's fun, it's an epic adventure always with an amazing soundtrack. Not so much with TWEWY. Granted, I'm still in the earlier parts of the game, which should be kept in mind for the following...but I'm not even motivated enough to continue unless I'm super bored.
Graphics
The graphics are...interesting. The character design definitely resembles Kingdom Hearts, which is one of the reasons why I thought it may be up to par. However the more I look at it, the more I don't really like the style of the drawings. Reminds me more of how people draw anime when they first start--random folds in the shirts everywhere that don't fit, Neku's turtleneck thing that covers up the mouth, etc. But that's just a personal pet peeve.
Characters and storyline
Ugh. The characters are sooo boring. I feel like I'm playing some game made for emo kids (cough Neku cough). The chars seem shallow and I don't have much desire to learn more about them. I'm really surprised at this since Square usually produces such deep characters in their traditional rpgs. And usually it's the characters and their story that make a game great for me. If you don't connect with the characters on some common human level, then any book/game/movie/etc can be boring. The exaggerated reactions were annoying too.
The storyline is at least -somewhat- unique. I liked all the real Shibuya elements that were incorporated.
Sound
Very unforgettable soundtrack. It's all random hip hop pop songs. I know it's suppose to fit the whole Shibuya thing, but it's just background noise to me, and doesn't really fit with what's going on anyway. Just turn on your mp3 and listen to that instead. I didn't like the voice acting.
Gameplay
Eh. It's ok I guess. Again, of course it's unique. But maybe it hasn't been done before for a reason. I don't know about others but although the 2 screen fight system seems cool and makes you feel like you're somehow awesome and multitasking, it is really simplistic and most of the time ends up as button mashing for me. Unfortunately it usually works better than trying to concentrate on both screens.
Overall
Definitely try before you buy. Also go on your gut feeling and not the reviews. If you don't like the art style or the whole emo bit, you probably won't like it. Some people may like the soundtrack--I didn't. It's completely different from other Square games, with only the character design slightly the same. Mostly feels like a game marketed towards the younger crowds...
Of course I had pretty high expectations of this game, so maybe not being as awesome as I'd hoped made it seem worse. Disappointed overall, but I guess I'll finish it at some point since I bought it. Hopefully my review will change as I get into it more.
A cool DS game! August 20, 2008
The World Ends with you has a little of everything. It has a steady plot with twists and great art styles. Its not very difficult to play that the risk/reward system is nice. The harder it is the more you get; makes sense.
The game also reps the Shibuya district of Tokyo very well as trends, fashion, and style are like a life blood their. Even the characters take this on by what they wear and such.
I would recommend this game to those who like Japanese culture or are a fan of Kingdom Hearts as well as other related games.
5 stars hands down!
Simply Amazing August 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Stop reading my review and buy this game! The World Ends With You is the best RPG since Kingdom Hearts! I've been waiting for a fantastic RPG to come out for ANY system and this just blew me away. This game came out of nowhere and took me by surprise.
The art style is amazing, very cool and well done, so incredibly detailed. It's also very innovative with it's fighting style and use of the stylus. The learning curve is very small and the combat is never boring. I've decided to stop this review, just buy this game, it's perfect, if you like amazing, original story (slightly complex), an amazing battle system and really cool little features that pop up all over the place, then you will love this game. It's long too, you get your money's worth! Gogogogo!
Longlasting RPG Fun August 13, 2008
The World Ends With You is an amazing RPG set in modern day Shibuya, a district of Tokyo. While the setting may be foreign to most readers here, the writing is such that it explains some of the nuances of the setting without ditching its Japanese roots.
The gameplay is decent. You control two different characters fighting in real time--one with the stylus and the other with the control pad. It is very hectic at first, but it lets you control the harder stylus character while the other goes on auto mode. But controlling both characters is fun when you master it.
The story is amazing. It reads like a short novel at times, and parts of the story have moved me. But that's all good things! I wouldn't pick up the game if you don't care to read a story. (There is voice acting, but only for select scenes.)
The game lasts for quite some time. If you are watching the game days go by and you're worried that the game will be over soon, don't worry, there is a ton of twists and the story seems to keep going and evolving. And when you finally beat the game, there is still yet more to discover. There are even "Xbox Live"-styled achievements to check off when you are done, such as defeating certain noise, collecting items, and there is even a hidden chapter.
Overall, the game is fresh, fun, new, and totally worth the relatively higher price.
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