Parents' Guide to

The World Ends with You

By Harold Goldberg, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Fascinating, dark but compelling action RPG game.

Game Nintendo DS 2008
The World Ends with You Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Walt L
Walt L Parent
January 13, 2015
age 10+

One of the best RPG's EVAH!

Why do good games (and anime) like this only come from Japan? Are Americans that scared of dealing with serious issues? On to the game: This is hands-down one of the best stories I've seen in any game, on any platform. You have to play through the game twice to really understand it (you get more information through 'reports' you find when you start a new game+). Yes, there's language, but nothing a ten or twelve year old doesn't hear on the playground every day. The "message" is simple and powerful, but not all that obvious at first glance (or maybe I'm just getting slow in the uptake at my age). You define the limits of your world. The World Ends With You.
StarZero
StarZero Adult
January 13, 2010
age 13+
An EXELLENT game. Very good storyline, engaging characters and (for once, out of the games that claim it) a unique control system-you control two sepoate characters, one on each screen. It is fairly dark, at points, but if you think the kid can handle, there's no problem. In any case, it may be okay for young-ish kids, but you can see someone enjoying it as old as 20.
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What’s It About?

In THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, you wake up as Neku, a punky 15-year-old, who is disoriented in one of the busiest sections of Tokyo. Somehow, you're able to hear what everyone's thinking. You have a strange looking, tattooed Pin embedded in your hand, and you get a message on your cell phone from a group called The Reapers. The first message: You have seven days to do their bidding or you'll be erased. (That's a code word for being killed.) Within minutes, you meet an affable 15-year-old girl character named Shiki, who takes your flack and balances your pessimism with her optimism. This dialog-fueled story, presented somewhat like a graphic novel in the top screen, is both chilling and mysterious.

Just as the story is packed with enticing drama, so is the gameplay packed with compelling ways to move forward and stay alive as each day ticks away. You'll collect various Pins with a variety of powers to help you combat Noise, annoying monsters which prevent you from reaching your goals. By using the Pins and tapping and slashing on your touching screen, you'll unleash powerful forces that will vanquish your foes. You just can't keep fighting without thought, however. That would be too easy. When your energy is depleted, you'll have to wait a few moments as a circle fills to boost your health. During this time, you'll use the touch screen to move your character around and avoid being hurt by the Noise.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (14 ):

As one of the most unique games ever created for the Nintendo DS, The World Ends with You is filled with tasty, creative features. For instance, you can shop and collect CDs, which are full length pop songs that you can listen to at your leisure. In addition to controlling combat on the lower screen, you can also control it on the top screen using the control pad. However, it's difficult to alternate between both fighting modes. So if you simply want to use the touch screen only, the game is programmed to help you play along the top screen automatically. Essentially, there's so much here it almost feels like a console game. In other words, unique story + smart gameplay = a great DS game.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what they would do if they, like the characters in the main story, had seven days to solve a problem or perish. How does the use of a deadline compare to other media using such melodramatic deadlines, like the TV show, 24? What role did the unique graphic-novel-like art within the game have on your appreciation for the game? Did you think the story was scary? What if you could read other people's minds?

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo DS
  • Available online?: Available online
  • Publisher: Square Enix
  • Release date: April 22, 2008
  • Genre: Role-Playing
  • ESRB rating: T for Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, and Mild Suggestive Themes
  • Last updated: October 26, 2018

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