Square Enix has announced a successor to The World Ends With You in the form of NEO: The World Ends With You. The World Ends With You is an action RPG released in the US in 2008, following a Japan release a year prior. It received solid reviews at launch and is often considered a cult classic for the Nintendo DS. Its success prompted a port to smartphones in the early 2010s, and a Switch port, The World Ends With You: Final Remix in 2018.
Critics praised The World Ends With You for its presentation and its unique, albeit challenging combat system. The game takes place in a mysterious supernatural realm layered over the Japanese shopping district of Shibuya, and in order to succeed, players must coordinate their efforts in both this alternate reality and in real-life Tokyo. The game took inspiration from certain franchise, one of Square Enix's most popular series.
Now over a decade after the original game's release, fans are finally getting more of The World Ends With You. A trailer released by Square Enix shows players what they can expect of the sequel, A PS5 release has yet to be announced.
Given how long it's been since the first The World Ends With You hit shelves, this news of a sequel is certainly a surprise. But as the recent ports to smartphone and Switch prove, Square Enix never truly forgot about The World Ends With You. Furthermore, the considerable success of Persona 5 Royal proves that there's a substantial market for Japanese RPGs with an urban fantasy flair. NEO: The World Ends With You might not give nostalgic Phantom Thieves another chance to dive into Mementos, but it does let them return to Shibuya and experience a whole new mysterious alternate reality.
There have been some very solid RPGs in recent years. Not only Persona 5, but the on its way to PC and PS4. The World Ends With You made waves when it launched all those years ago. Here's hoping NEO: The World Ends With You is another success for Square Enix.
Source: Square Enix
