The World Ends With You is a Square Enix game that released in 2008. Though it gained a lot of fans, it didn't have the success that other Square Enix titles had, such as Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy. It took over a decade for a sequel to release, which it finally did just a few days ago.
In many ways, Neo: The World Ends With You is an amazing sequel to the first game, expanding on the things that made the original so great. Yet, there are also parts of the game that make it nothing like the first installment.
10 Similar: The Shibuya Setting
Shibuya is the setting of both The World Ends With You titles. Based on the ward in Tokyo, players will get to see many popular locations there, such as the 104 building and Hachiko. They get to know the city as they progress throughout the game.
Fans of the series will learn a lot about Shibuya, though not everything from the games is completely accurate to the real-world basis. However, it's great to see a real place act as the main setting of these games, especially since many RPG titles take place in fantasy worlds.
9 Different: The Rules Of The Reaper Game
After the main characters die in the beginning of both installments, they need to play the Reapers' Game. However, the Reapers' Game is completely different depending on the title. The World Ends With You had two players team up with each other. They must rely on each other, but could help other teams, which is how Neku, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme were able to become friends.
While the characters in Neo: The World Ends With You can also be friendly with each other, there's a lot more competition between each team. Additionally, each team can now have more than just two members. Changes like this kept the sequel interesting, since not even the first game's biggest fans could predict what the rules of the new Reapers' Game would be.
8 Similar: The Storyline
The World Ends With You's story is about a boy named Neku, who dies in Shibuya and goes into the Underground. There, he participates in the Reapers' Game, along with other players that he meets throughout his journey. Some of his new friends even join him to defeat the Noise and win the Reapers' Game, so they can come back to life.
Neo: The World Ends With You's plot is similar in many ways. Two friends, Rindo and Fret, go to the Underground the same way. There, they meet Minamimoto and Nagi, who become their teammates. Many of the things that Rindo and his comrades have to do in order to win the Reapers' Game are similar to the quests that Neku undertook.
7 Different: The Controls
While the stories share a lot of similarities, the way that players fight against enemies is very different. In both games, players use pins, each with their own ability, in combat. However, while they used the DS's touch screen defeat the Noise in the first installment, Neo: The World Ends With You has button controls. Each button is assigned to whatever pin players have equipped.
Even though The World Ends With You was brought over to other devices, players always controlled things by touching the screen. (The exception to this was the Switch version, which also used motion controls.) These different ways to play make the two games feel completely different, and less like clones of each other.
6 Similar: Returning Characters
One of the biggest reasons fans of The World Ends With You wanted a sequel was to see what happened to the beloved characters after their adventures in the Underground came to an end. Though the main characters from the first game aren't in the sequel as much, Neku still plays an important role and fans learn more about him.
Many supporting other characters from the original title also make an appearance. One is Minamimoto, who is now a playable character in Neo: The World Ends With You. Fans get to see more of him than they did in the first game, which is something that many had hoped for.
5 Different: The Protagonists
Though several characters appear in both titles, the protagonists of Neo: The World Ends With You are quite different compared to the first game's main characters. While Neku was a loner who learned how to make friends during the Reapers' Game, Rindo is already a friendly person. He hangs out with Fret when the two of them go to the Underground, and has a mysterious friend he only knows online.
As for the other characters, Minamimoto may have a lot in common with Joshua due to their histories with the Reapers' Game, but their personalities are completely different. Meanwhile, Nagi shares some traits with Neku and Beat, but has interactions that are very different.
4 Similar: The Music
Another great aspect of The World Ends With You titles is their amazing soundtracks. No matter what music genre fans like the most, there's something for everyone in here. The tracks in these games draw from several genres, including rock, metal, rap, and electronica.
A lot of the most popular songs from the original game return in Neo: The World Ends With You. Yet, there's new music as well that fits the game's mood and aesthetic just as beautifully.
3 Different: The Camera Perspective
The World Ends With You is a side-scroller, meaning that the camera always stays facing the same direction, following Neku as players control him. The sequel is very different, with the camera moving around to the best perspective depending on where players bring Rindo.
Though the game still has a 2D, anime-inspired art style, it's actually a 3D game. There are also moments where players can control the camera, such as when they are fighting against enemies and bosses.
2 Similar: The Noise Enemies
There are plenty of types of enemies to fight against throughout the series, such as Reapers and other teams of players. However, the most common ones are Noise, animal-like creatures that make people think negative thoughts.
The Noise are quite different compared to enemies from other RPG games. They don't look as threatening or evil; however, they can be very powerful. Players can make Shibuya a better place by defeating them.
1 Different: The World Ends With You Is More Accessible
Because of how long it has been since The World Ends With You released, it has been brought to more devices and even has other adaptations, making it accessible to a much wider player base. The DS may have been the only platform it was on at launch, but it came to mobile devices and the Switch years later. There have also been manga and anime adaptations for fans of other media to enjoy.
Neo: The World Ends With You, on the other hand, just released. Though it's only available on two consoles right now, hopefully it will come to more soon, allowing other fans to experience it. Perhaps it can eventually unlock the popularity this franchise deserves.