"The World Ends With You" - The Game

It is a new trend breaking action based role playing video game by Square Enix. The game explores new technologies in game play using the "Stride Cross Battle System." That and a strong story narrative combine to provide an excellent gaming experience. Made for the Nintendo DS game system, the action is controlled from the bottom touchscreen, yet requires coordinated activity on the top screen to win battles. A very challenging format.

The game revolves around a dead teenage boy, Neku Sakuraba. Neku died before the game started. He has to work in conjunction with a companion and both figures must win to advance in the game. Their goal is to progress through many challenges until Neku is returned to the land of the living. Action happens in two areas, the Realground, the land of the living and the Underground the land of the dead. Game play is in the form of Reaper Games or combat with Noise (Creatures). Combat in the Reaper Games is controlled using pysch pins and articles of clothing. Using fashionable items gain favorable result while unfashionable items have negative effects. Fighting noise requires both partners fighting together to beat them. Controlling both characters at the same time results in some of the most challenging action of the game.

The venue is a large Tokyo shopping district, Shibuya; thus, the tie to the means of combat and control of power-ups, pysch pins and clothes. Action in different contests takes place over a period of three weeks. A new partner is matched with Neku each week. The game progresses as you win contests and defeat the noise. Playing in different districts is effected by the clothing fashion trend for that district. The overall result is a very different and challenging game.