TWEWY is one of the most compelling games the DS has to offer.
1. The story/writing
Ordinarily, plots are not that important in games; they usually just serve to enhance the overall experience. TWEWY's plot, however, is completely engrossing; it was the first time a plot in a game really had me surprised on more than a few occasions. Without spoiling anything, the plot basically follows an antisocial (not emo), angsty teen named Neku as he fights for his life in the Reapers' Game. Neku himself actually undergoes some serious character progression throughout the game, eventually becoming a truly likable character. The rest of the cast is comprised of other teenage players in the Game, as well as the mysterious Reapers who are running the Game. Neku will partner up with three different kids throughout his adventures, and he will encounter many people with unique personalities. In fact, just about every character in TWEWY, no matter how minor, has some sort of background. Major characters all have deep back-stories and huge twists that actually make you feel for them. The entire plot is told through well-written dialog that can be both witty and serious, but usually more witty than anything.
2. The battle system
The battle system in TWEWY is unlike anything else out there. Players control characters on both screens at the same time, with Neku on the bottom and his partner on the top. The game encourages you to focus on one screen at a time through the "light puck" combo system, but I played through the entire game while acting on both screens at the same time. Neku is controlled entirely via the touch screen, as players tap, swipe, and rub the screen to activate his "Psych Pins." There are over 300 pins to collect and level up in the game, and each one has unique properties, despite there only being just over 10 types of attacks. Partner characters on the top screen are controlled with the D-Pad or face buttons (for lefties), and all three partners handle differently from each other. The bottom screen is obviously more interesting, but the two different styIes complement each other quite nicely.
3. The soundtrack
Much of TWEWY's soundtrack consists of original rock, hip-hop, and pop songs, designed to fit the modern setting of Shibuya, Tokyo. The songs all sound professional and just about all of them are extremely catchy. There are over 30 songs in the game, though each week only plays about 6 in battles, so a few tracks repeat a bit more than they should.
4. Replayability
Few games have ever given enough incentive to go back and replay the storyline again after finishing the game once. TWEWY offers a rich backstory that can only be discovered by going back through the plotline and completing special missions. It's also just about impossible for you to master every pin in your first run-through, so completionists will love going back and finding and mastering all of the pins.
What's Bad:
1. J-Pop
About a third of TWEWY's soundtrack is J-Pop, which will not attract you if you're not already a fan. There are quite a few songs that are in their original Japanese form, and the singers in those versions can be grating to people who aren't into Japanese culture. Even some of the English tracks can be annoying, especially the ones featured in the first week of the game. I have nothing against female singers, but most of the ones chosen for this game do not have the best voices to complement the catchy instrumentals.
2. Grinding
TWEWY never actually forces grinding on you, but it still became a problem for me. Screens are filled with monsters to fight, but doing more than about four sets of 4-chain battles can become repetitive. The fault in this case actually falls on myself, but I'm sure I won't be the only one affected by it. Technically, this isn't really a complaint, but more so a warning to my fellow overzealous gamers.
The World Ends With You gets a 9.5 out of 10.