Square Enix released NEO: The World Ends With You, a continuation of 2007's The World Ends With You (TWEWY), on July 27 for the Nintendo Switch and PS4. The game brings a new cast of characters to TWEWY's familiar setting, bringing players back to the style-driven world of Shibuya with a wide range of both returning and new features for players of all levels. As quick-paced and flashy as its combat is, though, NEO: The World Ends With You has a relatively long run time.
NEO: The World Ends With You is in some ways both a sequel and a remake of TWEWY, and its gameplay is fairly similar to its predecessor. Combat is based around pins, collectable items that can be leveled up and evolved, each of which corresponds to a unique ability in battle. Each character in the party can equip only one pin at a time, and the large number of pins available to find around Shibuya makes combat feel expansive. Players can also access other stat bonuses and abilities by collecting articles and sets of clothing known as Threads, or from eating at different restaurants.
One important factor to consider when it comes to overall gameplay is that NEO: The World Ends With You may take varying amounts of time to beat depending on how much side content players work through. In addition to the game's main storyline, there are a number of side quests to complete around Shibuya. There's also other elements to explore, like Scramble Slam, a Splatoon-like turf war game mode. For most players, though, the game's length will probably end up falling into the same general range.
Why NEO: The World Ends With You Takes So Long To Beat
According to NEO: The World Ends With You reviews, the game runs around 45 to 50 hours, although that number includes several grinding sessions and side quests. Players who are looking to fully explore the game and collect every additional item might be looking at 55 to 60 hours instead. The adjustable difficulty level could also impact how long it takes to complete certain quests or battles, and players on higher difficulty settings may find themselves taking more time to strategize than those on an easier difficulty, though it is worth noting that players on hard difficulty will also receive more pin drops from combat as a reward.
Fortunately, it doesn't take too much time to learn the basics of battle. NEO: The World Ends With You's combat is accessible for first-time JRPG players, consisting of one-button presses for abilities that make it easy to utilize multiple attacks at once. Complexity emerges naturally as a result once players begin to understand how to best time attacks or which moves are better paired up together. The Groove meter adds another layer of gameplay into combat, allowing a player's team to unleash powerful combo attacks once the party's meter has been filled entirely. Overall, NEO: The World Ends With You's gameplay is straightforward but versatile and should offer plenty of fun opportunities for both new players and returning TWEWY fans alike.
