Language barrier be damned, IGN's Craig Harris made his way to the It's a Wonderful World demo kiosks at the Square Enix Party this weekend, and he's glad he did. This Nintendo DS action game's pretty kick-ass even in its still-in-development form.
The strict Japanese text made it difficult to understand the whole story and concept, but the visual style and gameplay speak volumes for the product and made it very accessible for those not willing or able to read through the manga-like character cutscenes and dialogue windows. That's because the game's heavily focused on stylus-swiping action through the city streets of Shibuya (or a very close likeness of it).
It's a Wonderful World is still heavily in development, but he's really looking forward to the final build. It's not the usual Square Enix offering.
More information and a batch of new screenshots available.
Gamertell has posted its weekly column that focuses on notable game-related imports and Japanese gaming.
From this week's article:
"Subarashiki Kono Sekai: It's a Wonderful World Original Soundtrack acts as more than your typical game soundtrack. While there are the pieces that do sound tailored for specific situations in the game, as a whole it seems like it was designed more to bring an entire environment and area to life. The tracks often sound different, yet also sound the same. They share a common theme and attitude. By listening to it in the game or on their own, it provides a sense of ambiance and makes the in-game version of Shibuya come to life."
CheatCC writes: "Although The World Ends With You largely conforms to the Square-Enix tried-and-true style, it is nonetheless a great game. There is enough here in terms of storyline, unique characters, and depth to make it a worthwhile experience."
CheatCC Writes: "For those of you who are confused or may have not heard of The World Ends with You, it's certainly worth mentioning that this is now the official title of a DS game that had garnered some attention months before, previously titled It's a Wonderful World. The premise of the game is rather straightforward but at the same time pretty crazy and morbid: you take control of a boy named Neck who finds out that he has only seven days to live. And with that basis, Neck sets out on a crazy, existential journey to save himself from the God of Death, along with the help of a companion named Tsuki. "
I've been waiting for more news on this title. It seems pretty cool with the heavy stlylist moves and the art style is cool too. SE doing a non-rpg is cool too. Rather upsetting to hear it's still heavy in development though. I want this game sooner rather than later :(