# The World Ends with You (すばらしきこのせかい)
**The World Ends with You** (すばらしきこのせかい, *Subarashiki Kono Sekai*) is an action role-playing game developed by [Square Enix](https://www.edgepedia.org/square-enix) and Jupiter for the [Nintendo DS](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-ds), released in Japan in 2007 and internationally in 2008[1](https://media.gdcvault.com/GDC2014/GameNarrativeReview/Koerner_Andrew_TheWorldEndsWithYou.pdf). It follows Neku Sakuraba, a fifteen-year-old loner who must survive seven days of missions in a supernatural version of Tokyo's Shibuya district known as the Reapers' Game[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/). The game became a cult hit on the strength of its dual-screen touch combat, modern Tokyo setting, and soundtrack, and it later received mobile, Switch, and sequel releases[3](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/world_ends_with_you_final_remix).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer / publisher | Square Enix and Jupiter; published by Square Enix[1](https://media.gdcvault.com/GDC2014/GameNarrativeReview/Koerner_Andrew_TheWorldEndsWithYou.pdf) • [4](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-DS/The-World-Ends-With-You-273388.html) |
| Original release | Nintendo DS, 2007 in Japan and 2008 outside Japan; European release 18 April 2008[1](https://media.gdcvault.com/GDC2014/GameNarrativeReview/Koerner_Andrew_TheWorldEndsWithYou.pdf) • [4](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-DS/The-World-Ends-With-You-273388.html) |
| Genre and setting | Action RPG set in a modern-day Shibuya, with fantasy elements[5](https://etheses.durham.ac.uk/id/eprint/14059/1/James_S_Tate_-_Thesis.pdf) |
| Signature combat | Battles span both DS screens, with Neku controlled by stylus on the touch screen and his partner by face buttons on the other[6](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-ds-games/) |
| Character design | Tetsuya Nomura and Gen Kobayashi[4](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-DS/The-World-Ends-With-You-273388.html) |
| Later versions | iOS "Solo Remix" (August 2012, single-screen combat); *Final Remix* on Switch (October 12, 2018, with co-op and new story content)[1](https://media.gdcvault.com/GDC2014/GameNarrativeReview/Koerner_Andrew_TheWorldEndsWithYou.pdf) • [2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/) • [7](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix-switch/) |
| Sequel | *NEO: The World Ends with You*, released July 27, 2021 on PS4, Switch, and PC[8](https://as.com/meristation/2021/11/24/noticias/1637767144_871902.html) • [7](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix-switch/) |
## Premise and story
The story opens when Neku Sakuraba awakens amid the crowd at Tokyo's Shibuya scramble crossing with no memory of how he arrived, wearing a pin that lets him hear people's thoughts while the people around him cannot see or hear him[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/). A message on his phone sets the terms: "Reach 104. You have 60 minutes. Fail, and face erasure."[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/) Neku learns he is one of many Players involuntarily entered into the Reapers' Game, a deadly trial in which Players must complete seven days of missions in an alternate Shibuya called the Underground (UG) to survive[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/).
Progress is blocked by Reapers who erect "walls" that only open when the Player completes challenges, typically defeating specific monsters called Noise or acquiring particular pins[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/). For the introverted Neku, survival depends on learning to open up and trust the partners he is forced to work with, a theme the game makes central to reaching the end of the Reapers' Game[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/) • [3](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/world_ends_with_you_final_remix). The story is divided into short daily chapters, a structure that suits the handheld format, and the game's core message is that the world is larger and more complex than any one person's selfish view of it[9](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/06/world_ends_with_you_ds) • [2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/).
## Gameplay
**Dual-screen combat.** Battles take place across both screens of the DS at once: Neku is controlled on the touch screen through directional swipes and other stylus motions, while his partner fights on the other screen under button inputs[6](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-ds-games/) • [10](https://nintendowire.com/news/2018/10/29/review-the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/). Managing both characters simultaneously is deliberately demanding; GamesRadar compares the initial experience to rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time[6](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-ds-games/). Special attacks can also be triggered by speaking commands into the DS microphone[4](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-DS/The-World-Ends-With-You-273388.html).
**Pins and psychs.** Neku's attacks are tied to equippable pins, each with an attack, or "psych", performed through slash, tap, drag, or scratch actions on the touch screen; some pins let him use on-screen objects as weapons or heal himself[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/). Partners supplement Neku with attacks that can be chained into combos building a sync gauge for special attacks[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/).
**Fashion and trends.** Most gear carries a brand, and if the player's clothing is not currently fashionable in a given area of Shibuya, attack ability can be severely impaired[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/). The publisher's description adds that how Neku looks affects battle performance, and that item trading with friends over [Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-wi-fi-connection) helps players stay stylish[4](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-DS/The-World-Ends-With-You-273388.html). Difficulty is adjustable through a slider that trades player disadvantage for better experience and pin drops[11](https://as.com/meristation/2018/10/14/analisis/1539553940_664954.html).
## Development
The game was Square Enix's first for the Nintendo DS, developed with Jupiter[12](https://ubm-twvideo01.s3.amazonaws.com/o1/vault/GD_Mag_Archives/GDM_October_2008.pdf) • [1](https://media.gdcvault.com/GDC2014/GameNarrativeReview/Koerner_Andrew_TheWorldEndsWithYou.pdf). In interviews from the official complete guidebook, director Tatsuya Kando, co-director Tomohiro Hasegawa, and planning director Takeshi Arakawa identified two main deciding points behind the game: the thematic nature of a story set in the modern world, and the gap between that setting and the innovative gameplay system[13](https://www.khinsider.com/news/A-Look-Back-Interviews-Creator-Comments-from-original-TWEWY-guidebook-18615). The soundtrack, composed by Takaharu Ishimoto, spans rock, J-pop, techno, dance, and hip-hop, with vocals in Japanese and English[5](https://etheses.durham.ac.uk/id/eprint/14059/1/James_S_Tate_-_Thesis.pdf) • [11](https://as.com/meristation/2018/10/14/analisis/1539553940_664954.html).
## Ports and re-releases
**Solo Remix (2012).** An iOS version subtitled "Solo Remix" was released in August 2012, reworking the combat around a single screen[1](https://media.gdcvault.com/GDC2014/GameNarrativeReview/Koerner_Andrew_TheWorldEndsWithYou.pdf). The partner's role was reduced, with the second character's attacks handled through simplified prompts rather than a second full battle[10](https://nintendowire.com/news/2018/10/29/review-the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/).
**Final Remix (2018).** *The World Ends with You: Final Remix* arrived on [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch) on October 12, 2018, published by Nintendo in the West and developed with h.a.n.d.[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/) • [7](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix-switch/) It adds upgraded HD visuals, a remixed soundtrack, an extra chapter, and exclusive two-player co-op in which a second player controls Neku's partner with another Joy-Con[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/) • [7](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix-switch/). Reviewers judged the port's controls its weak point: in docked mode a single Joy-Con acts as a pointer simulating the slash, drag, and tap gestures, a scheme RPGFan called clunky and unintuitive, with a reticle that lost calibration every few actions[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/). Nintendo Life scored the Switch version 7.5 out of 10 while noting it recaptures the magic of the original[3](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/world_ends_with_you_final_remix).
## Reception and legacy
The original DS release earned critical acclaim for its art style and touch mechanics and has been described as a modern classic[2](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/). Despite little advertising for its North American release, word of mouth made it the top-selling Nintendo DS game in its first week there[14](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ds/935689-the-world-ends-with-you/reviews). GamesRadar ranks it among the 25 best DS games, arguing that neither the iOS nor Switch version fully replicates the uniqueness of playing it on the DS[6](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-ds-games/). A GDC narrative review describes it as a game with a rich, multi-layered narrative, powerful themes, and stylistic choices often tied into the gameplay[1](https://media.gdcvault.com/GDC2014/GameNarrativeReview/Koerner_Andrew_TheWorldEndsWithYou.pdf).
**Sequel.** *NEO: The World Ends with You*, the long-awaited sequel, was released on July 27, 2021 for [PlayStation 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-4), Nintendo Switch, and PC, moving to 3D environments and button-based attacks[8](https://as.com/meristation/2021/11/24/noticias/1637767144_871902.html) • [15](https://as.com/meristation/2021/07/26/analisis/1627298483_389364.html). Although well received by users, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda told shareholders that the game "rendered below our initial expectations" commercially[8](https://as.com/meristation/2021/11/24/noticias/1637767144_871902.html).
## References
1. [The World Ends With You, GDC 2014 Game Narrative Review (Andrew Koerner)](https://media.gdcvault.com/GDC2014/GameNarrativeReview/Koerner_Andrew_TheWorldEndsWithYou.pdf)
2. [The World Ends with You: Final Remix Review, RPGFan (Rob Rogan, 2018)](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/)
3. [The World Ends with You: Final Remix Review (Switch), Nintendo Life (Mitch Vogel, 2018)](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/world_ends_with_you_final_remix)
4. [The World Ends With You, Nintendo DS, Nintendo UK](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-DS/The-World-Ends-With-You-273388.html)
5. [James S. Tate, PhD thesis table of JRPG credits, Durham University](https://etheses.durham.ac.uk/id/eprint/14059/1/James_S_Tate_-_Thesis.pdf)
6. [The 25 best DS games of all time, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-ds-games/)
7. [The World Ends with You: Final Remix, Nintendo of America store page](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix-switch/)
8. [NEO: The World Ends with You choca con el mercado y no alcanza las expectativas, Meristation (2021)](https://as.com/meristation/2021/11/24/noticias/1637767144_871902.html)
9. [The World Ends With You Review (DS), Nintendo Life (2010)](https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/06/world_ends_with_you_ds)
10. [Review: The World Ends With You: Final Remix, Nintendo Wire (2018)](https://nintendowire.com/news/2018/10/29/review-the-world-ends-with-you-final-remix/)
11. [The World Ends with You -Final Remix-, análisis, Meristation (2018)](https://as.com/meristation/2018/10/14/analisis/1539553940_664954.html)
12. [Postmortem: Square Enix's The World Ends With You, Game Developer magazine, October 2008](https://ubm-twvideo01.s3.amazonaws.com/o1/vault/GD_Mag_Archives/GDM_October_2008.pdf)
13. [Interviews and creator comments from the original TWEWY guidebook, Kingdom Hearts Insider](https://www.khinsider.com/news/A-Look-Back-Interviews-Creator-Comments-from-original-TWEWY-guidebook-18615)
14. [The World Ends with You Reviews for DS, GameFAQs](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ds/935689-the-world-ends-with-you/reviews)
15. [NEO: The World Ends With You, análisis, Meristation (2021)](https://as.com/meristation/2021/07/26/analisis/1627298483_389364.html)
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