NEO: The World Ends with You
- October 19, 2022
- h.a.n.d.
- 35h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games StoreNEO: The World Ends with You is a follow-up action RPG to the popular The World Ends with You game. Set in a vibrant, modern-day Shibuya, players control a new group of characters fighting for their survival in the Reaper's Game. Using flashy psychic abilities called "Neku's Notes," defeat enemies, explore the city, and uncover the mystery behind the sinister forces threatening to end the world.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features a vibrant art style and an incredible soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Combat is fast-paced and engaging, allowing for a variety of strategies with the pin system.
- The story and character development are enjoyable, with a mix of new and returning characters that fans of the original will appreciate.
- The pacing can be slow, especially in the early chapters, which may deter some players.
- Some characters feel underdeveloped compared to the original, and the reliance on nostalgia may not resonate with new players.
- The game suffers from occasional technical issues, such as long loading times and minor bugs.
- story464 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Neo: The World Ends with You" is a mixed bag, with many praising its engaging plot twists and character development, while others criticize its slow pacing and reliance on the original game's lore. While the narrative picks up significantly in the latter part of the game, some players found the initial setup tedious and felt that the new characters lacked depth compared to the original cast. Overall, the game offers a rich, albeit sometimes convoluted, storytelling experience that resonates well with fans of the franchise, though prior knowledge of the first game enhances the experience.
“The story takes a few in-game days to get rolling, but it never lets up once it does.”
“Regarding the plot twists, this game has some of the best plot twists and unpredictable moments to the point that I was getting goosebumps by the end of each day.”
“The characters are all amazingly memorable and charming, the world is a joy to explore, the soundtrack is still stuck in my head like a year after finishing it, the combat is a load of fun, the art style is super stylized and still blows my mind, and the story is an awesome experience from beginning to end.”
“If you want to spend 85% of the game doing the same tasks just to get different dialogue to move the story, then go right ahead.”
“The story is overall just boring as well; most of the cool stuff doesn't happen until the very last week or so, and even worse, there's like no stakes at all until the last week.”
“You'll quickly grow tired of the return to Shibuya, as the glacial pacing of the story means you'll be revisiting the same streets over and over again, punctuated by the inclusion of a bare-bones time travel mechanic, making you replay parts of the mission again and again.”
- music384 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in "Neo: The World Ends with You" has received a mixed reception, with many praising its energetic and engaging soundtrack that complements the game's vibrant aesthetic. While some players appreciate the remixes of original tracks and the overall quality of the music, others feel that certain songs become repetitive and that some new additions do not resonate as well. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
“Best soundtrack I've ever heard.”
“The music that goes along with this game is some of the best I've heard.”
“The soundtrack is killer and I would say a cut above the last game's.”
“I hate opening up the menu screen in this game because it changes the soundtrack for no reason at all.”
“I put up with the experimental music but it got repetitive and sick for me after a while that I tried my best and just put on Spotify and put the normal music on mute.”
“Music is horrible 90% of the time.”
- gameplay294 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Neo: The World Ends With You" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its unique mechanics and engaging combat system that incorporates rhythm elements and a variety of abilities through the pin system. However, some find it repetitive and frustrating, particularly due to pacing issues and a reliance on button-mashing, which can detract from the overall experience. While it offers improvements over the original, including better controls and more customization options, the game also suffers from some design flaws and a grindy nature that may not appeal to everyone.
“Each type of ability has different mechanical characteristics and there are many variants of each with different stats that further change how they feel to use, so there's lots of room to experiment, though you can't have more than one character with a psych using the same button, which can feel limiting but is also understandable balance-wise.”
“The new combat system feels fitting both from a narrative and gameplay perspective, and it can really feel satisfying, fluid, and intuitive, especially the later in the game you get with more and more psychs (the attacks you use throughout the game) being unlocked.”
“The gameplay was easy to get into yet with the potential to grow hugely complicated, yet always fun no matter the particular state of things.”
“The gameplay on the other hand often got frustrating and confusing.”
“Gameplay sucks, story is o-k, characters are bland and don't really develop much.”
“You’ll quickly grow tired of the return of Shibuya, as the glacial pacing of the story means you’ll be revisiting the same streets over and over again, punctuated by the stupid inclusion of a bare-bones time travel mechanic, making you even replay parts of the mission again and again.”
- graphics122 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and stylish art direction, effectively translating the original's aesthetic into a vibrant 3D environment. The cel-shaded visuals are noted for their charm and detail, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience, although some players mention minor issues with camera angles and low-detail elements. Overall, the combination of colorful graphics and a fantastic soundtrack enhances the game's appeal, making it a standout in its genre.
“The art style is so unique and beautifully drawn, all of the characters are so charming and fleshed out, the story is actually somewhat engaging, the combat system is easy to pick up but hard to master which I love... I freaking love this game so much.”
“Graphics are very colorful and stylized, it will not age and will always look incredible.”
“The art team really spent a lot of time trying to make this look like a respectful evolution of the original's art style, and it pays off big time.”
“The 3D graphics sometimes look kind of weird and don't give the enemies that old sharp feel where you could see the clean lines and patterns of their graffiti bodies.”
“The overall graphics of the game are nothing crazy, but everything feels very inspired and you can definitely see the time that went into planning out every detail of the world and the characters you will be spending all your time with.”
“Graphics options are pretty limited, as they only allow you to change resolution, vsync, and anti-aliasing; however, the game doesn't seem to be demanding at all, having it run at a stable 60fps for several hours straight on my PC.”
- grinding46 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Grinding in the game is a mixed experience, with many players noting that while it can become tedious, especially in the endgame and for completionists, it is not strictly necessary to progress through the main story. Some players appreciate the option to adjust difficulty levels to make grinding optional, while others find the repetitive battles and lengthy grind for collectibles detract from the overall enjoyment. The game's music and art style can help alleviate the grind, but the lack of a compelling story may leave some players feeling unmotivated to engage in extensive grinding.
“Grinding in this game is slow and tedious, but it's not something that's necessary to complete the game due to the fact you can switch your game difficulty at any time, so you can make it easier on yourself if you just want to rush through the story.”
“When combined with Neo TWEWY’s obnoxiously grindy gameplay, the extremely late story pay-off makes Neo TWEWY very difficult to recommend.”
“To finish the game and its story, it will take roughly 20-30 hours with minimal actual grinding; much longer if you plan on doing a full 100% run for achievements, which will definitely turn into non-stop grinding.”
- character development34 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while the returning cast from the original game showcases strong growth and nostalgia, the new characters feel underdeveloped and lack depth. The dialogue quality remains consistent with the first game, but the pacing issues and limited time for character exploration in the later acts hinder overall development. Visually, character designs are praised for their creativity and modern appeal, but some players find the execution of character arcs lacking.
“Aside from how cool it is to see the TWEWY cast all grown up and carrying over their character development from the original, the new game's cast are sorely lacking overall and pale in comparison to the returning cast.”
“Aside from how cool it is to see the TWEWY cast all grown up and carrying over their character development from the original game, the new game's cast are sorely lacking overall and pale in comparison to the returning cast.”
“The frustrating thing here is that in Act 3, the game feels like it never had enough time to develop these characters, and gives each of them basically one day each of really intense character development.”
“The quality in the writing of the dialogue and character development is the same as the first game, I'd say.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with the PC version offering the best performance and smooth gameplay, while the Switch version experiences minor performance dips that may affect completionists. The Steam Deck shows some stuttering during intense moments, but it resolves quickly and does not significantly hinder the experience. Players appreciate the game's visuals, combat system, and lack of long load times across platforms.
“The PC version, of course, can have the best performance, with the added bonus of supporting your controller of choice.”
“As for performance, the game is installed on my SSD and I have not had long load times or startups, and there have been no freezes or stutters from my experience.”
“Pretty well optimized.”
“There is some stuttering that happens during the game, which seems to be from running around or getting into combat, but this alleviates itself pretty quickly so it doesn’t impact the gameplay that matters.”
“[h1]sdhq steam deck performance review:[/h1]”
“[i]this review is based only on performance of the game on the steam deck.”
- monetization18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized due to a significant lack of advertising from Square Enix, which many reviewers believe has contributed to its poor visibility and sales performance. Despite being a well-received title, it was overshadowed by larger releases and failed to garner the marketing support it deserved, leading to concerns about the future of the franchise. Overall, players are urging others to purchase the game to demonstrate demand and encourage further development.
“Overall, this game is a masterpiece and I will never forgive Square for dropping it with no advertising and letting it flop. You should buy the game so they do more with this franchise.”
“Show Square Enix that they miscalculated by not advertising this game more and be a part of the remainder by getting this game.”
“This game released on Steam on October 19th, 2022, with no advertising after being Epic Store exclusive for about a year.”
“This game fucking sucks, that's why Square Enix isn't advertising it.”
“It's a passion project that has been treated poorly by a complete lack of marketing, and it's too good to let the franchise die due to the lack of advertisement.”
“Overall, this game is a masterpiece and I will never forgive Square for dropping it with no advertising and letting it flop.”
- emotional16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game resonates deeply with players, evoking feelings of loss and heartwarming moments, particularly highlighted in the relationship between Rindo and Shoka. Despite its slow start and some flaws, the game delivers a heartfelt message about humanity and empathy, leaving a lasting impact on players. The disappointment over its marketing struggles adds a layer of sadness to the overall experience, making it a game that many find both charming and heart-wrenching.
“The scene between Rindo and Shoka at the end is so wholesome.”
“It's a very anime-y story and the characters are purposely over-the-top, but like the original, it has a heartfelt message to convey about humanity and empathy.”
“This game isn't perfect and it has flaws just like anything else, but even with those flaws, it's entertaining, charming, and incredibly heart-wrenching at times.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players found the character antics and dialogues genuinely funny and appreciated the depth of the characters, others felt that the humor fell flat compared to their expectations. The localization received praise for its comedic elements, and many enjoyed the blend of humor with emotional storytelling and engaging gameplay. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the experience, though opinions vary on its effectiveness.
“And the localization is funny.”
“I was laughing about the characters' antics, and while at first I felt they were one-trope cutouts, they did soon show to have heart and problems and depth, that I really enjoyed.”
“A really fun ARPG with a great soundtrack, funny dialogues, really interesting puzzles, and a very pretty aesthetic and presentation.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Neo: The World Ends With You" is described as a unique blend of ambition and idiosyncrasy, creating a distinct and timeless experience. While some players wish for a more grounded character to balance the eccentricities, the game's consistency in atmosphere, alongside its engaging story and soundtrack, is widely appreciated.
“I do respect that the game is consistent in its general atmosphere.”
“Great story, atmosphere, and soundtrack.”
“In this atmosphere, Neo: The World Ends With You tries to go big while also trying to stay true to its own idiosyncrasies, and the result is a game out of time.”
“And although I would have liked at least one grounded character to absorb the barrage of cringey comments and behaviors, I do respect that the game is consistent in its general atmosphere.”
- stability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, with users reporting minimal load times, no freezes or stutters, and smooth performance on both SSD installations and the Steam Deck. However, some players noted that the default controls can be challenging to navigate initially.
“As for performance, the game is installed on my SSD and I have not had long load times or start-ups, and there have been no freezes or stutters from my experience.”
“It also runs great on Steam Deck so far; the default controls were kind of weird to get used to (I fought with the main menu longer than I care to admit).”
“Game runs great on Deck.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the exceptional replayability of the game, noting the ability to customize difficulty settings and adjust levels for increased rewards, which encourages multiple playthroughs.
“The replay value is through the roof, with custom difficulty settings that allow you to adjust your own level for higher rewards.”
“The replay value is incredible, offering custom difficulty options that let you tailor your experience for greater rewards.”
“The game has outstanding replayability, featuring customizable difficulty settings that enhance the challenge and rewards.”
