Current Events > Playing Neo: The World Ends With You for the first time. Any tips or tricks?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Really think I'm gonna like this game. I tried the demo, and despite going in with no intention of liking something from modern SE, I was surprised with how much I liked it and how much it felt like playing TWEWY again, which is tied for my favorite game of all time. Got the game after that.

Even though the first game was on DS, I got it on ps4 instead of switch since I heard it has better performance there. Anything else I should keep in mind while playing?

I suppose the amount of people that even played this game can be counted on one hand, if that

Trying to remember, I played it near launch. The battle system starts slow but gets much more engaging when you have the full number of pins to manage. The battle system is all about setting up pin synergies, and managing resources / cool downs to keep your flow going. There is a random difficulty spike in the middle, but otherwise it's a pretty breezy game.

The world ends with you on ds was a lot of fun...

thought it was bad

Loved it just as much as I did the first, if not a little more.

It's been 15 years since I played the original and so much has changed since then, but so much becomes instantly recognizable like the soundtrack and beats

Game kinda drags in some chapter but you'll definitely like the game a lot once you get the other stuff unlocked. Other than that just try to get much pins and see what suits your style gameplay wise. Been a while since I last played it.

Hopes this vid helps you if you ever get the wolf pin. *Spoiler*

https://youtu.be/BH2NlElwW9s?si=mdjtj_y3gOJCLpF4

Good soundtrack bad everything else

Welp I just ragequit and turned it off. Got poisoned by the Scorpion enemy Noise variety. I seem to have a vague recollection of this enemy also being annoying in the original game. Guess I'm gonna have to find anti-poison gear because it's insane how quickly my HP dropped.

Honestly I'm just mashing buttons right now which hurts my hand so I'm gonna need to see if there's a rhythm to the triangle-square-L1-R1 button presses.

Yeah the scorpions are pretty annoying

You know even on ps4 it doesn't quite have great performance, there's a surprising amount of slowdown and load times for what looks like a really non-resource intensive game. Not a big deal but just putting it out there, can only imagine how much worse it would be on Switch.

Damn there are some days where I feel like I've finally gotten into the groove and switch to Hard Mode, and other days where I can't seem to kick ass as much as I want.

Hard pressing the shoulder buttons is gonna destroy my controller isn't it... I'm glad I have one more controller and just a couple ps4 games left anyway so it's no big deal, but yeah. I just remembered, the original game actually caused me to end up scratching my DS touch screen, after putting in like 500 hours into the game.

i waited so long for TWEWY2 to come out. I did buy this game but it released in such a bad time, there's too many other games I wanna play.

But I am 100% gonna play this. And when I do I'll be as alone as TC is :(

I loved the original TWEWY, but I thought that visually this game looked terrible and I just couldn't play it I wonder if I should actually try it, because if it's fun enough I can probably get past that.

I'm really loving the story so far, and have got some good pins so I finally have a good groove going in combat. On week 2 already and some great spoilers so far.

how would you rate the story so far compared to the first?

Solid 8/10 game. Really loved how it captured the feel of twewy so we'll, and imo it's one of the best examples of the 3D-ification of a 2D game

Did they keep that thing where certain pins are one time only?
I have a file that's at 97-98% pin collection with the noise report and item collection maxed out. Turned out I couldn't finish it because I'd lost some one-off pins.

I definitely feel like I've gotten into a much better groove in week 2, playing on Hard pretty much the whole time.

Loving this game, take note Tales of Symphonia 2 this is how you start a sequel! At first I thought that was Neku, but it turned out to be Beat! Love that bait-and-switch, I was like no way that could be Neku and he lose against some random girl and I was right.

I'd suggest you wake up. Leave your hesitation. Wake up. Time for us to realize. Wake up. Show appreciation. Wake up. Time for us to realize.

Rika_Furude posted...

how would you rate the story so far compared to the first?

Well it's been 15 years since I played the TWEWY so I don't remember specific details; just the general theme, message, and some high points which I love.

But that being said I am absolutely loving Neo's story so far. This is how you do a sequel, by introducing new characters that you actually like (Fret and Rindo are definitely a likable pair) and slowly revealing more and more of the story, more references to the original, old and new characters alike, and having them all tie into the story.

I just about freaked when I saw Sho Minamimoto, ton of nostalgia floodgates flowing in.

saspa posted...

But that being said I am absolutely loving Neo's story so far. This is how you do a sequel, by introducing new characters that you actually like (Fret and Rindo are definitely a likable pair) and slowly revealing more and more of the story, more references to the original, old and new characters alike, and having them all tie into the story.

Yeah. I didn't look up anything about the game before getting it, so I wasn't sure how connected it would actually be to the original TWEWY. Considering they came out 14 years apart and the sequel features a new cast, I wasn't expecting much.

The first week is pretty self-contained, focusing primarily on the new characters and setting. From week 2 onwards though, it definitely starts building off of the the first game, and the story becomes a lot more interesting. I was pleasantly surprised at how "faithful" of a sequel it was. The OST and overall tone capture the TWEWY vibe really well.

saspa posted...

At first I thought that was Neku, but it turned out to be Beat! Love that bait-and-switch, I was like no way that could be Neku and he lose against some random girl and I was right.

I was pretty hype about that too lol. I figured the mysterious hooded guy wasn't actually Neku, but I wasn't expecting Beat at all. It's nice to see him again, and I really enjoy how much he bounces off the new kids (Fret especially).

teep_ posted...

Really loved how it captured the feel of twewy so we'll, and imo it's one of the best examples of the 3D-ification of a 2D game

Absolutely, I'm shocked at that other poster who didn't like it because from the getgo they nailed the art style and atmosphere of TWEWY, and definitely agree on how they made a handheld game into a console game in the best way.

I suggest you really pay attention to the characters mannerisms. Going back after beating the game really made me notice things alot more especially concerning Nagi.

So I dont know what difficulty youre playing on, but I know personally there was a bit of a spike later on, so Ill just say to not feel bad if you have to turn it down. It doesnt help that theres some timed stuff iirc.

Oh damn at the end of week 2! I mean... who else would the ruinbringers be, obviously shiba, and Susuikichi was obviously a reaper we saw his reaper wings in combat so... I don't know why the characters are shocked.

That person at the computer... it has to be Beat's sister right it has to! I don't remember her name and I'm not googling it for fear of spoilers, but I'm positive that has to be Beat's sister from the first game!

What I love about the Week 2 ending is that we fight Susukichi again right, and at the end of Week 1 I kept freaking losing to him my pins and characters were so weak, by the time I won it was by the skin of my teeth. But by week 2's end I had become so powerful (not to mention was on to his tricks) that I pretty easily beat his ass, losing only half my HP in the process. Feels good.

tremain07 posted...

I suggest you really pay attention to the characters mannerisms. Going back after beating the game really made me notice things alot more especially concerning Nagi.

This. The writing of this game, the minute details are far above TWEWY and other titles. TWEWY's character development is in your face. With NEO, it's more subtle but just as impactful.

PerseusRad posted...

So I dont know what difficulty youre playing on, but I know personally there was a bit of a spike later on, so Ill just say to not feel bad if you have to turn it down. It doesnt help that theres some timed stuff iirc.

Playing on Hard Mode, the enemies drop better pins so it's actually easier/better to play on Hard Mode and have stronger pins/more money to buy gear and food for stats up.

The timed mind dive stuff is so hectic and stressful to do if you want gold... but what I love about the game is that you can experiment with pins and pin combos and all their different inputs, so when I was too frustrated at being unable to get the gold rank for this one mind dive, I messed around with my pin setup until I found the perfect synergy for all my party members and finally got it. Felt very satisfying.

look out for scorpions, don't forget to dodge, and Killer Remix (the 300% thing) is OP. Also T-Rex's are annoying as hell

Also you'll eventually need to gold all dives if you want to get an extra scene for the ending (don't worry about it rn, since it's postgame stuff)

Oh hell yes! I got a 5th party member! It's Shoka. I was a bit surprised even though I knew she didn't want to do the whole reaper thing, but not to the point of straight up helping us, I wonder if she did that in week 1 or if Sho knew, they should have worked together oh well.

I was doing pretty well with 4 party members, but with 5 party members... this is fantastic. If I want to I can straight up relegate one person to just heal/cure my status ailments while the rest are heavy hitters that attack.

And 300% groove is. a. freaking. godsend. I don't even bother equipping a healing pin, I actually just focus on getting to that 300% groove, because it unleashes this badass attack that kills all the enemies, and restores my health to full, better than any pin possibly could. I'm literally chaining like 10 encounters at a time when previously it was suicide, because now I can heal myself in during one of those 10 encounters which gives me enough HP to finish the battle instead of constantly dying from hundreds of enemies' attacks slowly chipping away at my health. So glad this game lets us have as many as 5 party members battling on screen. Even getting to 300% is easier now and I'm constantly doing it.

saspa posted...

Oh hell yes! I got a 5th party member! It's Shoka. I was a bit surprised even though I knew she didn't want to do the whole reaper thing, but not to the point of straight up helping us, I wonder if she did that in week 1 or if Sho knew, they should have worked together oh well.

I was doing pretty well with 4 party members, but with 5 party members... this is fantastic. If I want to I can straight up relegate one person to just heal/cure my status ailments while the rest are heavy hitters that attack.

And 300% groove is. a. freaking. godsend. I don't even bother equipping a healing pin, I actually just focus on getting to that 300% groove, because it unleashes this badass attack that kills all the enemies, and restores my health to full, better than any pin possibly could. I'm literally chaining like 10 encounters at a time when previously it was suicide, because now I can heal myself in during one of those 10 encounters which gives me enough HP to finish the battle instead of constantly dying from hundreds of enemies' attacks slowly chipping away at my health. So glad this game lets us have as many as 5 party members battling on screen. Even getting to 300% is easier now and I'm constantly doing it.

Fun fact, light pins can heal a little bit as well as deal out damage and the their healing is tied to combos, like for example, the bomb psyche, if you use it at the right time you'll heal a massive amount of HP due to the damage inflicted on the enemies. Do note that just because your party is 5 now instead of 4 doesn't mean this gets easier, no, you're about to meet some of the deadliest enemies in the game now It's been awhile since I played but I really loved the shotgun pin, the light bullet pin, the sword arm pin, the bomb pin as mentioned and the noise pins, that's right, if you haven't noticed already you can eventually get noise pins from enemies and let me tell you, some of them are really strong and fantastic combo finishers.

mehmeh1 posted...

look out for scorpions, don't forget to dodge, and Killer Remix (the 300% thing) is OP. Also T-Rex's are annoying as hell

Also you'll eventually need to gold all dives if you want to get an extra scene for the ending (don't worry about it rn, since it's postgame stuff)

Yeah I thought mammoths were the worst, but T-Rexs are so much worse. I don't love sharks either when I'm grinding my C-tier pins and none of them are that effective against the shark's annoying swim mechanics.

I already go for gold on all mind dives just to get those extra friendship points, but it having an added benefit is good to know. I can revisit chapters anyway which is good because I know I missed some stuff here and there. I feel like this was also something in the first game, being able to revisit each week.

Try not to end the World.

The best advice I've ever received is that "more power" doesn't necessarily mean it's a better attack. For example, if two attacks both use the R button, one being tap, and one being hold, that's very unnatural, and you're likely to only actually use one of those attacks successfully more often than not. It's better to sacrifice power in order to pick attacks that hit a wider arrange of buttons, since you're more likely to use them effectively.

saspa posted...

Yeah I thought mammoths were the worst, but T-Rexs are so much worse. I don't love sharks either when I'm grinding my C-tier pins and none of them are that effective against the shark's annoying swim mechanics.

I already go for gold on all mind dives just to get those extra friendship points, but it having an added benefit is good to know. I can revisit chapters anyway which is good because I know I missed some stuff here and there. I feel like this was also something in the first game, being able to revisit each week.

It's been a real hot minute since I played Neo, but while I remember the T-Rexes being the worst in terms of killing you, the chameleons were absolutely abominable in terms of actually fighting them, absolutely annoying wretches.

And hold on m8, just like in the first game Week 3 is a wild fucking ride.

It's supposed to be hard
If it wasn't hard everyone in the world would do it
The hard is what makes it great
Making mistakes is proof that you're challenged

Also Game of the Year 2021

tremain07 posted...

Fun fact, light pins can heal a little bit as well as deal out damage and the their healing is tied to combos, like for example, the bomb psyche, if you use it at the right time you'll heal a massive amount of HP due to the damage inflicted on the enemies. Do note that just because your party is 5 now instead of 4 doesn't mean this gets easier, no, you're about to meet some of the deadliest enemies in the game now It's been awhile since I played but I really loved the shotgun pin, the light bullet pin, the sword arm pin, the bomb pin as mentioned and the noise pins, that's right, if you haven't noticed already you can eventually get noise pins from enemies and let me tell you, some of them are really strong and fantastic combo finishers.

Just wanted to say thanks, and that also just as I was feeling overconfident that I finally had 5 party members and kicking ass, I battled the Ayano noise monster and straight up lost -__-' . So much for that overconfidence. I had to reevaluate how I came at her.

Also the enemies getting way tougher as you said. Those gray super tough noise also feel familiar... Lotta dejavu I'm experiencing now, oh I can't wait to see what week 3 reveals.

I'm ambivalent about the bomb pins or any trap pins. When they work they're great, but trying to get the enemy to be near the bomb pin when it explodes is just a whole thing

Oh, that's simple, the best way to use the Bomb pin is after one of the pins that drags all the enemies into it's circle, where you are now you should have one of those water or fire vortex pins, they'll drag all the noise into them unable to flee from the bomb's splash zone, as for the boss, they're weak to fire pins so definitely put a bunch of those on especially for the desperation attack as the boss spams it more and more the closer to death it gets, as for those weird noise, I bet they seem familiar you faced something similar to them in the first game.

One enemy you'll really fucking hate is the elephant noises, they're huge, have a shitload of HP, can't be stunned and their most damaging attack sucks everybody in so if you don't know now to dodge you're in for a world of pain, especially because there's a dive sequence where you have to fight two of those fuckers at once, i won't tell you which dive it is, but all I can say is groove that shit as soon as you can

Man, I'm gonna end up replaying this game. I love the soundtrack and listen to it still.

As far as I'm concerned, it took everything the first game did well, and just shot it up to 100.

Oh my god chameleons are so bad if I don't attack them first. If I so much as target another enemy I'll regret it.

rhinos are annoying too in that tedious way of needing to attack them from behind but they're weak to ice so I freeze them often. But otherwise I'm not scared of them like I am the other big noise.

tremain07 posted...

Oh, that's simple, the best way to use the Bomb pin is after one of the pins that drags all the enemies into it's circle, where you are now you should have one of those water or fire vortex pins, they'll drag all the noise into them unable to flee from the bomb's splash zone, as for the boss, they're weak to fire pins so definitely put a bunch of those on especially for the desperation attack as the boss spams it more and more the closer to death it gets, as for those weird noise, I bet they seem familiar you faced something similar to them in the first game.

One enemy you'll really fucking hate is the elephant noises, they're huge, have a shitload of HP, can't be stunned and their most damaging attack sucks everybody in so if you don't know now to dodge you're in for a world of pain, especially because there's a dive sequence where you have to fight two of those fuckers at once, i won't tell you which dive it is, but all I can say is groove that shit as soon as you can

Thank you, it clicked for me, I was wondering how to make use of that darkness pin vortex that drags enemies, and the bomb strategy is great! Especially for the wolves that zip all over the place and leave a trail of fire that instantly burns my party and drains all my HP. So being able to trap them and explode them was hella satisfying

Safety bump, because I want to see more.

My pin setup has been:

Rindo: Triangle button (of course) with the fire sword pin, it's an absolute beast of a pin when I first got it, Yukimitsu

Fret: Square button ice bubble pin. Reloads fast.

Nagi: R1 button light bomb pin, and I equip the helpful smartphone accessory that changes the R1-Charge requirement to a tap for instant attacks, real life saver

4th Party Member Beat: L2 Hold Time wind pin, it blows the enemies away and rapidly increases my groove to 300% when I pair it with the other members attacks just right

5th Party Member Shoka: Pin Grinder for pins I want to see the evolution of, or same as above which basically ensures me getting 300% every battle when I drop the beat just right; the boost grinder pin is helpful for this

That's for set 1. For set 2, I switch it up a bit:

Fret: Bomb pin. 1 time use that has this huge bomb which gives out massive damage IF I plant at the right spot at the right time

Nagi: Ice Frost chain pin, holds enemies in place AND makes them take damage while they're stuck

4th Party Member Beat: Darkness Sword Pin, just because its so fun to use. Otherwise it's a healing pin

5th Party Member Shoka: Vortex Pin, to suck up all the enemies onscreen and keep them in one place for the bomb that's about to go off on them

I played the game but don't have any advice tbh. try to find a rhythm to the combat I guess? I typically liked having two people with the sword pins (Jupiter of the Monkey) and the other three slots for people with guns or charge pins or whatever

Also I couldn't help looking it up, but I found out how the pins with question marks on their evolution work. Apparently they only evolve if the right person is wearing them.

Previously I had those pins and when I mastered them, they wouldn't evolve like the rest of the pins. So I put them aside. Then I had one of those question marked pins equipped on Fret and got more exp than I expected, and at the end of the battle screen the pin turned rainbow colored and asked if I wanted to mutate the pin, instead of evolve the pin. I said yes and voila, got a whole new stronger pin. Looked up that specific pin and apparently it evolves when Fret equips it, so I assume that's how it works for other pins and other characters, but I'm not gonna look it up yet in case even more people join my party and don't want spoilers.

Heh it's definitely simpler than it was evolving pins on the DS, I remember DS pins that required real world time to pass to exp up, or putting the DS in sleep mode, or other things that I don't really remember anymore.

The three were Battle PP, Shutdown PP, and Mingle PP which required you connect with other players. Thankfully there was a random alien that could show up in mingle mode to give you Mingle PP if you had no one to connect with.

A minute to pick up, a life time to perfect.