It’s a bit surreal to be writing a preview for the sequel to The World Ends With You, as like many others, I assumed we’d never get such a game. The demo is here, though, and it covers the entire first two chapters of the upcoming sequel, with save data that can be transferred to the full game upon release. The demo provides an in-depth look at the game, and I have to say, I really enjoyed what I played.
In NEO: The World Ends With You, you play as Rindo and his friend Fret. After buying some cool-looking Reaper pins, the two of them are thrust into the Reaper’s Game– a life-or-death challenge that takes place over the week and bestows psychokinetic powers upon its contestants. Alongside new friends that join their team, the friends must survive the game and figure out what’s happening in Shibuya. It’s quite similar to the first game’s narrative, but with enough minor differences to get me intrigued. I’m curious as to where the story goes in the full game, and how much it diverges from the path of the original game.
Unlike the first game, NEO is entirely 3D. Both exploration and battles allow for full 3D movement, with battles allowing for more vertical combat thanks to this change. Each party member gets to equip one pin, which is assigned to a button on the controller. Pressing each button uses the attack and puts you in control of the pin’s respective character. You can use each attack until it runs out and must refresh, which makes strategically using specific pin combos between refreshes rather important.
I love how combat has evolved, as using pins in 3D feels similar to how it did in the original game, but improved upon to make this additional dimension work. Finding synergy between different pin loadouts in a blast, as is levelling pins to make them even better. I found myself grinding just to see how strong each pin could get, even with the limited pins in the demo.
“As could be expected from the sequel to The World Ends With You, NEO is full of style.“
Since data carries over to the full game, you can level-grind to improve on your pins in the demo without feeling like you’ve wasted time. You can only go up to level 15, but you can star-rank all your pins to make sure you’re more than prepared for what the full release might throw at you. I like this trend that Monster Hunter Stories 2, Disgaea 6, and now NEO: The World Ends With You are following where your demo data transfers to the full game, as it makes you feel like you accomplished something extra by playing the demo.
As could be expected from the sequel to The World Ends With You, NEO is full of style. Every character looks distinct and fashionable, from the darker-clothed Reapers to the vividly-dressed main characters. Even the environments ooze with lively appeal, as buildings are colorful and slanted to make the city feel bigger and more stylish than you’d expect it to be. Even the various pin attacks have their own graffiti-inspired look, making battles look as nice as they feel.
I’m definitely looking forward to playing NEO: The World Ends With You in full when it releases next month, on July 27th. From what I’ve played, it feels like a suitable and expansive sequel to the original game, which is what I’ve hoped for since playing the first game on the DS. We’ll see when the full game releases, but NEO: The World Ends With You is looking like a grand return to the stylish underground of Shibuya.
