"The World Ends With You" has earned a reputation as a Square Enix cult classic. Neku, a misanthropic headphone-wearing teen, finds himself in an alternate version of Shibuya without any memories. He soon realizes his role as a Player in the fantastical Reaper's Game and teams up with Shiki Misaki to survive the week. Throughout the game, Neku grows as a character, realizes his love for the city he hated so much, and uncovers the meaning behind his missing memories.Critics praised "The World Ends With You" for its emotionally evocative story and unique characters. It was also very much a game designed for the Nintendo DS, which players could understand from the chaotic, tap-heavy playstyle needed to control the main character and his partner at the same time. These characteristics and its story separated it from many other RPGs at the time.
"Few games make it into the 'amazing' category in our opinion, but with a game that sets as many standards, breaks down as many walls, stomps as many preconceptions, and offers as much depth and versatility as 'The World Ends With You,' we simply can't consider it anything but exactly that," wrote IGN at release.
Square Enix also ended up releasing remasters of "The World Ends With You" for iOS and Nintendo Switch, and the game inspired a 2021 anime series, so its presence is still felt in a big way.
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Genre: JRPG
Game modes: Single-Player, Multiplayer
Metacritic Score: 88 (DS), 91 (iOS)
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