On Twitter, Kando said, “This is a personal matter, but as of May 31, I have left Square Enix. Over the past 29 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on many projects, including Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and The World Ends with You, and the experiences I’ve gained are irreplaceable.

“The support from everyone who played the games has been incredibly encouraging, and it served as a driving force that pushed me forward in development every day. I’m deeply grateful. Thank you so much!

“Going forward, I will continue doing my best to create enjoyable content that brings smiles to everyone’s faces.” It’s unknown whether Kando will continue his career in another company, so stay tuned for further updates.

NEO: The World Ends with You launched in July 2021 for PS4 and Nintendo Switch, followed by PC in September 2021. Despite solid critical acclaim, Square Enix revealed that the action RPG had performed lower than “initial expectations.”

The franchise has been on ice ever since with no indication of follow-ups. You can read our review – we rated it an eight out of ten, praising the writing, art direction, soundtrack and combat system. However, the technical issues on Switch and the poor pacing of some segments impacted our enjoyment.

While only time will answer that question, the prospects of there being another new game in the series entirely bleak. Speaking recently in an interview with Nintendo Life, NEO: The World Ends with You producer Tomohiko Hirano said that while no decisions have been made yet regarding the future of the series, there are still many things Square Enix could do with another The World Ends with You game. Hirano says that if fans are passionate enough about the series, there might be a third instalment in the future.

“Frankly speaking, nothing has been decided in terms of a next installment,” Hirano said. “However, as a game based on an actual city, there are still many areas that we still haven’t been able to bring to life in the games, so a part of me wants to realize that in some way. If players convey their passion for the game to us, our company may decide to let us make a sequel!”

Of course, that isn’t entirely reassuring- fans were really passionate about the first game, after all, and that took 14 years to finally receive a sequel. That said, it is at least somewhat reassuring that Square Enix could at least be willing to another new game in the series- hopefully this one won’t take over a decade.

NEO: The World Ends with You is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC. You can read our review of the game through here.

Final Fantasy 15 – Regalia Type F

While it’s fun to explore the world of Eos by casually driving around, you’ll want something faster and more convenient when the story is over. The Regalia Type F is the perfect answer – it’s unlocked by clearing three Imperial bases (the third base has a recommended level of 46 but it’s better to do it after finishing the story). Though it can’t be used for exploring the sea and needs a road to land on, this pseudo-airship is fast and doesn’t require fuel, which is a nice bonus.

Square Enix’s action RPG The World Ends with You launched for the Nintendo DS in 2007, and was met with strong universal critical acclaim. Though not exactly the publisher’s most high profile property, TWEWY has a strong and dedicated fanbase that’s been asking for a sequel for years, though up until now, there hasn’t been much to pin our hopes on other than some re-releases.

Well, after over a decade of waiting, that sequel has finally been announced. Following recent teases, Square Enix have announced NEO: The World Ends with You, a new game in the series that will see players exploring Shibuya once again (this time in 3D), as new protagonist Rindou takes part in the deadly “Grim Reaper’s Game”. Check out its announcement trailer below- it shows plenty of glimpses of gameplay, as well as brief introductions of the main characters.

NEO: The World Ends with You will launch for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch in Summer 2021.

It was years ago when The World Ends With You released on the Nintendo DS. It was slick, stylish and had a unique battle system that used both screens in a way no game really did before or after. The game was not a big success, but became something of a cult classic, and has seen multiple re-releases in the following years with the latest being the Final Remix version that came to Nintendo Switch. Now, a new teaser website is live.

Out of nowhere, a website has been launched with a countdown. Now, as you may know, an anime adaptation is coming for the game, so this could be related to this, but that is already announced and known, and the website was also tweeted out by Square Enix 1st Production Department, which you can see below. So, make of that what you will.

Square Enix recently filed a new trademark on the game, too, which has lead fans hoping for a sequel. Willing to get your hopes up? The Final Remix version of the game does have some additional content that is something of a sequel tease and characters did show up in a Kingdom Hearts game not too long ago. However, it could be something a lot simpler like Final Remix coming to other platforms or maybe even some other cross-media thing like the anime adaptation. It’s not the first time Square has done something like this for people to leave disappointed, either. We’ll see next week.

TIMELIMIT WITHIN 7DAYShttps://t.co/Y0U4JoEShO

— SQEX 第１開発事業本部PR (@1stPD_PR) November 17, 2020

Ghost of Tsushima

The initial skirmish between the Samurai clans and Mongol army doesn’t really go well with pretty much everyone killed, save for Jin’s uncle Lord Shimura. Jin himself would have been a goner if not for Yuuna. And while he doesn’t necessarily wallop Khotun Khan in their first encounter, it does mark the beginning of his terrifying reign as the Ghost.

If it’s anything that Square Enix has a lot of it, it’s defunct JRPG series. One of those was The World Ends With You, a game that was originally released for the Nintendo DS and brought a unique battle system that actually used both screens. The game was not a success, but has gained a cult following for its unique style. Square has flirted with the franchise off and on since its 2007 release. Now, it seems that flirtation continues with a new trademark.

As reported and translated by Gematsu, a new Japanese trademark came up for “Subarashiki Kono Sekai” (The World Ends with You) in Japan. This is actually a new trademark and not a refiling, because in Japan the game’s title is actually It’s a Wonderful Life when translated. This could be a signal they are planning to combine the names or, if you want to be cynical, want to keep the name locked down in their home country.

The game has had a few ports since that original release, including a Switch one in 2018, and characters from it even popped up in a Kingdom Hearts title a few years back. Some new art also popped up for an event called Anime Expo Lite 2020, so it’s possible this is related to an anime, but it could just as well be a game. As always with trademarks, it could also be nothing. Keep your fingers crossed, though.

With the launch of The World Ends With You: Final Remix, the upcoming Nintendo Switch port of the Nintendo DS game from over ten years ago, almost upon us, Nintendo and Square Enix have dropped a brand new trailer for the title on us. The trailer walks us through the game’s battle system.

The World Ends With You’s battle system has always been rather unique. The game was originally built specifically around the Nintendo DS hardware, including the presence of two screens and the touch screen. Of course, the Switch lacks a second screen, so compromises have been made in translating the game over to the platform. Nonetheless, the battle system still looks to be frenetic and fun, at least based on the demonstration for it that is given in this trailer.

It goes without saying, but we also get to see more gameplay footage for the title, and hear more of its great music. If you’re a fan of The World Ends With You, you don’t want to miss this Switch release— especially since series producer Tetsuya Nomura has previously suggested that it might bridge straight into a sequel.

The World Ends With You originally launched over a decade ago on the Nintendo DS. Next month, it launches on the Switch as The World Ends With You: Final Remix, which, according to producer Tetsuya Nomura, is his “final chance” to lay down the elements that he needs to to lead into a sequel.

“I’ve had a chance to attend various events in different countries during the 11 years following the release of The World Ends with You,” he said, speaking to Nintendo. “On many occasions, I have been interviewed by both the fans and the media, who have told me how much they want me to make a sequel for The World Ends with You. We’ve been looking for an opportunity, and there were a few times we tried to get it started, but time passed without it ever coming to realization.

“There are a number of implications behind this Final Remix version. In addition to my intention of making this my last time working with the original game, I think this is the final chance for creating a path to the next step, which I’ve had ideas about since the first launch 11 years ago. Many thanks to everyone for supporting ongoing efforts.”

The implication here seems to be more creative than anything— that Nomura wants to work on a sequel, and that this Switch version is his final chance to be able to include some elements into the game that he feels will be necessary to segue to a sequel. It’s a tactic he has used multiple times, such as with his Kingdom Hearts series.

For long-suffering fans of The World Ends With You, it’s probably heartening to hear that a sequel to the game is something that has even been considered at all. Maybe if the Switch version of the game is successful, then, more than 11 years after the launch of the game originally, a sequel can be greenlit, and fans can finally see a follow-up to this beloved game.

The World Ends With You: Final Remix launches on Nintendo Switch on October 12.

Development

The World Ends With You was originally released for the handheld system Nintendo DS, and developed jointly by Square Enix and Jupiter, who are also known for their work on Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (for which they also collaborated with Square Enix), Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, and the Picross series. The game was created by the same team at Square Enix that is responsible for the Kingdom Hearts series as well, with Tetsuya Nomura serving as the character designer, Tatsuya Kando and Tomohiro Hasegawa serving as co-directors, and Takeshi Arakawa serving as the planning director.

Though the game was initially designed with the idea that it should be the kind of game that is tailor made for the Nintendo DS and hence could only be played on that system, in the years since its release, it has been brought over to other platforms as well. The World Ends With You: Solo Remix, a mobile port of the game, was released on iOS devices in August 2012, and on Android devices in June 2014.

In January 2018, it was announced that The World Ends With You would also be ported over to the Nintendo Switch as the Final Remix, due out in Japan in September of that year and in the rest of the world the following month. It was announced that Final Remix would be retailed for a price of $50.

Story

The World Ends With You takes place in a modern day setting, in a fictional version of the Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, Japan. The story follows Neku, the protagonist, and his partners Shiki, Joshua, and Beat as they venture into the Underground, an alternate plane of existence, where the spirits of the dead take part in something called the Reapers’ Game every week, with the chance to either transcend to a higher plane of existence and become Reapers themselves, or to come back to life.

Final Remix, the Switch version, adds an an epilogue that has been described as a “sizable” new scenario in the game called “A New Day”, and this will tie directly into the game’s main story. The scenario will also feature an as of yet unnamed character, a girl who appeared briefly in the secret ending that was added into Solo Mix.

Gameplay

The World Ends With You is an action RPG, which involves exploration, and combat in equal measures. The game’s setup is divided into three individual chapters, each lasting a week, with each chapter further being divided into days (though the passage of time in the game doesn’t correlate to the passage of time for players, naturally). Neku is paired with a different companion in each week, and must compete in the Reapers’ Game. Each day comes with its own mission, which requires Neku and his companion to explore Shibuya for various purposes.

The combat in the game was designed to be one that leveraged what were at the time the DS’ unique capabilities, and as such revolves mostly around touch inputs. This can include slashing across enemies, tapping on the screen to fire bullets, and more. Each attack, as well as other actions such as healing up, is tied to the pins that the characters have equipped, and each of these pins only has a limited number of uses, after which it needs to recharge for some time before it can be used in combat once again. While the game starts out with Neku only being able to equip two pins at a time, this number gradually increases as the game progresses.

Fashion is also a major part of the game. Each of the districts players explore have their own unique fashion senses and preferences, and equipping clothing and pins accordingly can provide buffs and boosts to the player, while the opposite can also happen. Items also have a brand value attached to them, which players can increase as well by fighting more monsters in the area where the brand originates, while wearing that brand’s items. Exploration requires players to discover things known as memes, which can progress the story, and Noise, which can trigger battles.

Since Final Remix is an expanded port of The World Ends With You, the gameplay will remain almost entirely the same. However, since it is expanded, it will include a few new features as well. The most significant of these, of course, will be part of A New Day, the new scenario that has been included in Final Remix. A New Day will involve a brand new Reapers’ Game, but one that will only last a day instead of the full week. The new game, Square Enix has confirmed, will be harder, throwing enemies at players that are much harder to face and beat in combat.

Additionally, missions can also be triggered during battles in A New Day, while the scenario will also add a new mini-game to The World Ends With You, in the form of Marble Slash, which can be triggered via the use of badges. Additionally, given the fact that Switch’s hardware differs largely from the Nintendo DS’ input methods and the way of playing during combat won’t be exactly the same, primarily because Final Remix’s battles won’t simultaneously take place across two screens as they did in The World Ends With You on the Nintendo DS. Additionally, touch screen commands on the Switch will, of course, still be a way for playing, while Joycons can also be used to play the game. However, Square Enix have confirmed that Final Remix won’t feature support for the Switch Pro Controller. As such, when in docked mode, the only way of playing will be to aim using the Joycons during combat.

Additionally, it has also been confirmed that The World Ends With You: Final Remix will feature two player co-op. While not much details have been given on the co-op mode, given the game’s very nature of two characters simultaneously taking active part in battles, it is easy to assume what sort of an experience it will go for.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.