The World Ends with You - The last JRPG I will ever play

Sometimes if you keep trying something, you will eventually grow to like it. After many attempts with Japanese RPGs, I would say that it is not one of those things.

I wanted to try one more JRPG before I would seriously give up on the genre, so based on a recommendation from a friend; I picked up The World Ends with You on the DS. Like a lot of other JRPGs, this game had a unique battle system that utilized both the top and bottoms screens. The top screen featured your partner who you would control using the directional pad, and on the bottom screen, you controlled the main character exclusively with a stylus. This combat reminded me of that thing you always tried to do as a kid, where simultaneously, you would tap your head with one hand and rub your stomach in circles with the other.

The big deal about this head tapping and stomach rubbing game was to see if you were able to focus on two things at the same time. The World Ends with You’s combat is the same concept, and the challenge of focusing on one screen without letting the other screen suffer is more of a problem than a benefit. If you forget about the top screen and worry about slashing and dodging on the lower half, then you are denied of the combos and special moves gain from the top screen. But if you focus on the top screen to get all the combos and special moves, then the bottom screen which is more powerful remains idle. As you continue to progress, you learn to not necessarily focus on both screens, but to control both screens with shared amounts of concentration, therefore less effectiveness.  

To explain better, unless you haven’t already done it when I first brought it up, try the game I was speaking of before right now. You will notice that you eventually get the hang of rubbing your stomach and tapping your head simultaneously, but neither action is well performed. Chances are you are awkwardly tap-rubbing your stomach or making a big mess of your hair. No action is performed perfectly, which is why the combat in Square Enix’s DS title is never satisfying. It felt like I never putting any effort into mastering the combat, it was just a bunch of flailing around until the battle was over.

I never looked forward to playing The World Ends with You, yet I continued to forcefully boot it up in hopes of seeing that moment where everything just came together.

It never happened.

The dialog which is usually my first complaint is not terrible when compared to many other Japanese titles, though there is an overly excessive amount of conversation that adds absolutely nothing to the story or the character development. I don’t mind the characters conversing on topics that are unimportant, but if it’s not funny or interesting to read, it just becomes a waste of time. The game isn’t terrible by any means as the soundtrack is appropriate even though at times a little overplayed, and the plot is actually quite different than what I’ve seen before. The problem I found reoccurring throughout my many spurts with the game was the feeling of mediocrity. I wasn’t having fun but I wasn’t particularity dreading my time either. The game is just mediocre, an attribute that has been apparent in every single JRPG I forced my way through.

I just don’t understand the appeal.

Each JRPG usually focuses around a battle system that has some unique aspect to it, which means constantly putting you in situations that utilize this battle system. Doing this unavoidably makes your game repetitive as there is nothing much else to do besides fighting the enemies. Sure there are side quests and exploring, all of that open world stuff, but to be perfectly honest, it’s all boring. Everything comes back to this battle system which isn’t a bad thing at all, but when it is spread across 30 or more hours of gameplay, it becomes a chore.

There is no point in trying anymore; there are just some games that don’t appeal to me, and forcing myself to like those games isn’t going to change anything.  

The JRPG genre isn’t as large or important as it was during the PS2 era, and I do believe that there is a niche market for them specifically on handhelds; just don’t expect them ever to reach the masses as it once did. I’m not the only one who doesn’t like JRPG; you can see the proof clearly in the dramatic decline in games being localized for the West. It’s important to have an open mind to every genre and game, but I think there comes a point where as an enthusiast, I know my taste in games, and I don’t need try to and change them.