Review - Neo: The World Ends with You (2021)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Back in January, I took a look at the Square Enix video game The World Ends with You. And, just recently, I picked up a copy of its 2021 sequel Neo: The World Ends with You. I got a chance to play it, and here is my review. 

          So, much like the original The World Ends with You, Neo is set in the Underground version of the Shibuya shopping district in Tokyo, Japan. And, of course, it's in the middle of yet another Reaper's Game. So, a lot of the hallmarks of the first game are back. Reapers, Players, Psych Pins, Noise, etc. However, as opposed to centering on a single Player and their Game Partner, Neo focuses on a full team of Players. And the more Players on a team, the better chance of winning the Reaper's Game. 

        Our main protagonist in Neo is a teenager named Rindo Kanade, who ends up in the Reaper's Game along with his best friend Tosai Furesawa, commonly referred to as Fret. And, throughout the game, additional Players join Rindo and Fret, including the likes of Nagi Usui and Sho Minamimoto. Yep, the mathematical Minamimoto, a major antagonist in the original game, is back in this game, and this time he's a Player. Together, this unlikely quartet are referred to as the Wicked Twisters. As the game progresses, Minamimoto leaves the team, and a few additional characters join in his place, but I don't want to give too much away. All I will say is that at least one of them is a fan favorite from the original game. One interesting feature is that our main trio of Rindo, Fret, and Nagi each have unique abilities which are really helpful in the game. For instance, Rindo has the Replay ability, which allows him to return to the past to alter the future to a more positive outcome, and Nagi has the Dive ability, which allows the team to defeat the Noise that possesses an individual. 

         Now, one thing that sets Neo apart from the original The World Ends with You is the emphasis on team combat. As before, psych powers are utilized through pins. In this game, each team member is assigned a pin, and pin abilities are linked to a single button on the controller. And, the more you use in tandem with each other, the player can build up the Groove Meter and unleash a powerful team attack. Also, there are several battles with other factions of Players, which is very different from the original game. Also, while original The World Ends with You was on a 2D plane, Neo is on a 3D plane, which expands the world, and the size and scale of the Noise.

        Speaking of which, it wouldn't be The World Ends with You without the Noise, and Neo has Noise in spades. From classic forms of Noise like frogs, sharks, ravens, and such, and even new forms like  scorpions and Tyrannosaurs, the Noise are back and in abundance throughout Shibuya. Also, along with regular Noise, there's also a new type of Noise called Plague Noise, and they're more dangerous than regular Noise. Hell, they're more dangerous than the Taboo Noise from the first game. And with the Noise, there are also Reapers. Some new, some returning. Either way, the Reapers are back, and they all still have the same goal: throw a series of difficult challenges at the Players. Also, cell phones, fashion, and food are back, but this time they replaced flip phones with smartphones, and food is more necessary than it was in the original The World Ends with You. 

        Another new element in Neo is Social Networking. Throughout the game, players can gain Friendship Points, which can be cashed in for various advantages and additional bits, such as the ability to lower or raise the difficulty, adding health meters to an enemy in combat, and so on. And, the more points you get, the more bonuses and advantages you can unlock. 

        Ultimately, while Neo is certainly easier and more fulfilling in terms of gameplay, I think that the story and characters from the original The World Ends with You are more memorable. Don't get me wrong, I love both games, and they both have a very anime aesthetic about them. But, something to remember is that the original game became a cult classic over the span of a decade after its release in 2007. Neo, on the other hand, is more recent, and still needs to spread its legs over time to gain the support of the fans of The World Ends with You. I do believe that, with time, Rindo will be just as beloved a protagonist as Neku was in the first game. 

         Overall, I really enjoyed playing Neo just as much as I enjoyed playing The World Ends with You. Honestly, after playing both games, and watching the anime adaptation of the first game, I think that The World Ends with You is easily my second favorite Square Enix franchise right after Kingdom Hearts. I'm going to give Neo: The World Ends with You a rating of 4.95/5.