In just under two weeks the long-anticipated sequel to one of Square Enix's most underrated RPGs is finally releasing for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. NEO: The World Ends With You is the sequel to 2007's cult classic Nintendo DS RPG The World Ends With You, and is set to release on the game's 14th anniversary on July 27, 2021. While many fans of the original are eagerly anticipating the sequel, Square Enix has revealed that newcomers don't have to have played the original to jump right into NEO: The World Ends With You.
Despite this, the sequel is expected to tie up many loose ends from the original game and its A New Day epilogue introduced in The World Ends With You: Final Mix, the Nintendo Switch remake that left off on a major cliffhanger. With this in mind, anyone not ready to take the plunge into the 15-20 hour action-RPG (or its anime adaptation) before the sequel, or returning fans looking to brush up on the original's story, here is a full recap of The World Ends With You. Keep in mind, this will include heavy spoilers for the original game and its A New Day epilogue.
Week 1
The World Ends With You opens with Neku Sakuraba, an introverted teenager who awakens in the streets of Shibuya to find himself locked in a game for survival known as the "Reapers' Game," where he must accomplish tasks around the city for Reapers in charge of the game. Many of these tasks include defeating Noise, creatures that embody negative feelings of those living in the real world, and after completing a task for each day of the week a player will be allowed choose if they want to return to the real world or become a Reaper themselves. The granter of these wishes is the Composer, who runs the Reapers' Game.
Shortly after awakening in Shibuya and despite his antisocial behavior, the amnesiac Neku makes a pact with a young girl named Shiki Misaki, who has also been trapped in the Reapers' Game. As the two make their way through the week, Neku's attitude contrasts with Shiki's outgoing and friendly mentality, and the two constantly butt heads. They learn that they are dead in the real world, although Neku cannot remember who killed him to put him in the Reapers' Game. As the week progresses the two meet Beat and Rhyme, two fellow contestants in the Reapers' Game, until Rhyme sacrifices herself to save Beat on the fourth game, tempting Beat to pursue becoming a Reaper himself to revive her.
On the sixth day, Neku and Shiki cross paths with Eri, a friend of Shiki's in the real world who looks exactly like her. Shiki reveals that she forfeit her appearance as a fee for entry to the game because she suffers from major self-confidence issues and hates the way she looks, so she stole the appearance of her friend. As the two watch, she learns that Eri actually holds a lot of respect for Shiki and mourns her death. The next day the two go on to win the Reapers' Game, however as only one member can leave, Neku nominates Shiki, who immediately becomes Neku's fee for participating in a second week of the game.
Week 2
Neku once again awakens in Shibuya and makes a pact with a teenage boy named Joshua, whose sarcastic and pessimistic mentality clashes with Neku. The two constantly argue over the importance of the missions for the Reapers' Game, as Joshua has seemingly participated in the game for a long time. Joshua later reveals that he is participating in the game voluntarily and has been watching Neku since he started, which angers Neku because he is fighting for his and Shiki's life. After the two travel to the Shibuya River, Neku reawakens the memories of his death and learns it is possible that Joshua killed him in the real world.
On the final day, as they prepare to take down Game Master Sho Minamoto, Neku learns that Joshua actually protected him from Sho, who really killed him in the real world. History repeats itself as Joshua sacrifices himself to save Neku as the two do battle with Sho. Neku has to repeat the Reapers' Game for a third week, with the last week being disqualified due to Joshua's interference, meaning Shiki's life is still at risk.
Week 3
Prepared to make this his final week in the game, Neku attempts to make a pact with Beat, who has become a Reaper in an attempt to revive Rhyme. Beat decides to rebel and teams up with Neku to take down Mitsuki Konishi, the Game Master for the week. Neku learns that Beat and Rhyme are actually brother and sister, and the two entered the game after Beat failed to save Rhyme from being hit by a car after he got into a fight with their parents, causing him to leave home. Beat reveals that he has always looked up to his sister, who was far more academically successful, causing him to be degraded by others. Beat also reveals that his fee for entering the game was his sister's love and memories, adding to his guilt when she sacrificed her life for him not even knowing they were related.
On the final day, Neku and Beat team up to take down Mitsuki, discovering that Shiki has been revived in the Reapers' Game. The three team up to take down Megumi Kitaniji, the Conductor of the Reapers' Game, when Neku learns that Joshua is the Composer and did kill him in the real world. He reveals that the Reapers' Game is a test of worth for humanity, and that Joshua is an omnipotent being who wants to control Shibuya. After he challenges Neku to a standoff, Neku is unable to kill him, causing Joshua to spare him out of respect for the trust he bears for him.
The game ends with Neku, Beat, and Rhyme meeting up in the real world, having survived the Reapers' Game, before they are joined by the real Shiki.
A New Day
The Nintendo Switch-exclusive epilogue chapter is set some time after the events of the main game. Neku once again wakes up in Shibuya as part of the Reapers' Game's Extra Mode, where he teams up with Beat again. In the Expert Mode he encounters a new Reaper named Coco, who the team partners with. He also encounters Shiki, Rhyme, and Joshua, who all act uncharacteristic. It is soon revealed this Shibuya has been created by Coco and is actually created from the Noise. The epilogue ends with Coco shooting Neku, leaving his fate hanging on the storyline of NEO: The World Ends With You.
NEO: The World Ends With You releases on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on July 27, 2021. A PC release is planned for summer 2021.