1. Twice The Screens Means Twice The Battles:
TWEWY’s battle system really is like no other. Firstly, the touch screen offers a rich absorbing battle technique with near perfect touch controls and over 200 different attacks, theres a lot to explore and customize with here, making every battle different. What makes it really unique though is the duel battle mechanic. While your slashing, sliding, taping and rubbing the bottom screen your partners battling on the top screen. This part of the games controlled with the D-Pad where you have to input combo commands in order to execute attacks. To make things even more interesting, each partner has different combo requirements, such as matching cards with attacks or using attacks of a higher or lower number (as specified) in ordert o build up your power. Both of these battles are connected with you and your partner sharing one health bar as do the enemies. Damage a wolf and it damages the same wolf on the top screen. Defeat an enemy and it gets defeated on both screens. A Combo Puck also flicks between players, letting you continue your finishing blows with your other character while you recharge before passing it back for the killer blow. All this makes an experience like no other.
2. Points Without Play
Leveling up your items isn’t confined to battling Noise. Theres two other spiffy ways to boost those stats. Firstly is the Mingle Mode, which gains PP whenever you come into range of somebody using wireless. It does have to be TWEWY either, any DS game will get you those extra levels. The other way is to simply not play. Every minute of downtime earns you PP, helping you to increase your power even when you cant play. Not playing for a day will normally increase your items by one level. This means your not stuck in mindless battles in order to gain enough strength to beat the next boss.
3. +6 Burger of Strength
Stat boots in the game are handled by food rather than items, and thus behave in foodly ways. You don’t automatically gain your stat boots but instead have to digest the meal over several battles in order to boost up. Also, you can only eat so much until your full, limiting how often you can boost yourself and adds tactics in what food you eat. Once your stuffed you have to wait till the next real day before eating some more.
4. Accessorize To Pulverize
Theres no +6 strength Armour to be found in this game, but instead the latest fashions. What makes this system unique is that the strength of your items depends on whats the latest must have fashion in the area you are currently in. The coolest of the cats can expect all of their items powers to be doubled, while a accessory disaster will find themselves struggling to keep up. This makes item management more crucial to the game play and ads extra depth to the game.
5. Level Down?
While getting to the next level might bring you added power, TWEWY offers you a good reason to decrease your levels. Your level can be decreased at anytime, lowering your HP via the main menu. While this may seem silly, its actually a huge incentive. Not only does it let you make the game more difficult, but a lower level yields you with greater rewards as more pins are dropped. Therefore a high level isn’t always the best solution.
6. You Choose When To Fight
When you play TWEWY don’t expect to walk a few squares and randomly enter a battle. Instead you can select when and where you fight. You can even pick the difficulty of the opponents. By activating your Scan mode you can see all enemies currently in the area and then you simply tap the ones you wish to battle to begin the brawl. This means you can fight to your hearts content, or take a few minutes to wander around and enjoy the beautiful world free from and annoying monsters.
7. You Choose The Challenge
This isn’t a game where you have to pick Easy, Normal or Hard before you start and then make you regret it. Instead the difficulty can be changed at any time during the in game menu, with difficulty being traded in for the number of rewards per battle. This means you have a helping hand when the going gets tough and can increase the tension when things seem a bit too easy.
8. They Actually Released The Soundtrack
A game soundtrack is a rare thing over here, found few and far between the generations of games, nether mind the individual games. TWEWY bakes these rules though releasing its fantastic soundtrack to the public, which has some of the greatest Japanese talent behind it. The music sets the tone of the game perfectly and is a very welcome addiion.
9. You Don’t Want To Save The World
Most games have you working on some higher quest to save the world from impending doom. As the title says, The World Ends With YOU. TWEWY is the story of one boy, in not so normal circumstances with a goal to survive no matter what the cost. This delivers a story on a much more personal level as you follow Neku through his eyes and as he learns the true values of everyday life.
10. It’s A Wonderful World
Not only is the district of Shibuya recreated beautifully, but the game also makes you appreciate the world you live in more. The landscape, the cultures, the people, the game delivers an important message and it’s one that makes you appreciate your life so much more.
Just read this and your review and you’ve got me sold on the game. In fact you’ve told me more about the game than those goddamned press releases I had to work with for the mag!
i am more hyped about this game than i am smash bros brawl . i am definately getting the game after reading this.