Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 16-20 of 47
 Best Game on DS so far... June 1, 2008
J. UBERT
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
... although I've only played six on the system to be fair. But the graphics are beautiful, the anime-type sequences are funny, and the pop music soundtrack is actually pretty good. The thing I like most, however, is how the stylus is integrated in the gameplay. All the other games I've played, and most I've read about, hardly use the stylus at all, or badly. The tap and slash stylus fighting is very intuitive, and the use during inventory screens feels quite a bit like my PDA. The use of the top and bottom screens during the battle sequences is fun, and controlling both characters during battle is challenging. The game doesn't force you to play both, however; there is an option to have the top-screen character auto-play, and at different speeds of takeover. The game also sports a sliding scale difficulty that can be used at any time. All in all, an extremely well-designed and beautiful game.
 Trust me, it's more than 7 days July 11, 2008
Van E. Wood (Virginia)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I actually have been seeing this game around lately and found it Square Enix. Now, when have you EVER heard that Square Enix makes crap? So, I bought the game with my last remaining money and have been playing it lately after my surgery.
I was actually getting scared at first since it said 7 days and how fast I was going through the missions thinking that this game wasn't worth my $40 but then come to realize that you go through more than just 7 days making the game more enjoyable(and worth my money I might add). This game is very enjoyable but can get a bit complicated and a bit confusing but as long as you practice your fights and techniques you'll get the hang of it and love it! The characters are very interesting to hear from and have style to their personalities. I am also glad they have close moments between each character that makes it even more fun to play and read. I recommend this game for at least teenagers, like I said before, it might get confusing to some younger kids and get them frustrated but don't lose hope. Just KEEP PRACTICING and you'll get it, I promise. You may not do so good in your first few battles but you'll improve the more you use the same pins you collected. I wish you good luck and hope you enjoy it! I sure have!
 You really have to dig anime to dig this game! July 26, 2008
progstock (U.S.)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
While the game play is undoubtedly deep, I couldn't get past the annoying anime characters and fake attempts at "teen hip." It was like watching a bad Disney movie like "Herbie Fully Loaded" made into a video game.
You can digest other reviews to get a clear perception of how the game play works -- Square certainly does a great job of utilizing both screens and makes full use of the stylus. I have no complaints with battle sequences, other than it gets a little repetitive after 30 or 40 similar battles. But if you're an older gamer like me and not particularly fond of anime, and if you like your action RPGs with plenty of interesting puzzles to solve (eg, Zelda), then this offering may not be your cup of tea.
half fun, half grind August 25, 2008
Rorke Haining (Seattle)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I'm a big fan of dungeon crawls and RPGs in general. Some of my recent favorites are Rune Factory, Shiren the Wanderer, and the Zelda series. I love games with lots of secrets and long "checklists" of difficult goals to accomplish. I review from this perspective.
TWEWY is quite different than the usual fantasy RPG dungeon crawl I enjoy. The action takes place entirely within an alternate reality version of downtown Tokyo (Shibuya). Despite that fact, I've played over 30 hours now and there are several things about the game that I like. My favorite aspect is the intriguing plot. It reminds me of The Matrix: completely arbitrary, inconsistent, and absurd, and yet somehow the story works so well that you ignore how ridiculous it is. The combat system is innovative, making excellent use of the DS hardware (touch screen, wireless features, etc.). Left-handers will appreciate that fact that TWEWY controls are (nearly) perfectly symmetrical. You are rarely forced into battle without warning -- combat is avoidable, optional, and you can see it coming in most cases. The game has a wide variety of "pins" (weapons) and monsters, both of which break up the monotony of combat somewhat. Also, there's a decent wireless minigame for 1-4 players. Some players will enjoy the "street punk anime" design ethic; I'm neutral on this particular aspect.
But on the downside, the game is highly, highly repetitive, the epitome of a "grind". In many checklist-type games where you "have to have them all", I enjoy finding all the secrets and mastering all the possibilities. Not so in TWEWY. In order to get all the secrets, you would need to grind and grind and grind the same basic combat approximately 5,000 times (no exaggeration) -- and that's if you're good at the combat and know how to maximize the experience you get from it. Yes, the weapons and enemies do change over time, but I'm well past sick of the combat system after 1,000 battles and have given up any notion of "getting them all" and am just focusing on finishing the plot. Moreover, it is simply inconceivable that anyone could find most secrets on their own. For example, "pin evolution" (e.g. creating rare and hidden weapons by evolving them from lower forms) is so convoluted you'd have to be insanely dedicated to explore the evolutionary possibilities on your own, or, do the only sane thing and "cheat" with a hint book or online guide. I looked at an online guide and was glad I did, because it completely disabused me of the notion that I'd enjoy mastering all pins. Many secrets cannot be obtained unless you play via the DS wireless system. Even more secrets cannot be obtained except by *not* playing the game for days or even months on end. (Dozens of secrets only unlock if you leave the game shut down in specific states, and you have to leave it shut down for a *long* time. See my comment on this review below for a spoiler secret which can greatly help ease this frustration.) In short, 99.99% of all gamers simply aren't hard-core enough to enjoy getting all the secrets, and I say this as someone who enjoyed spending 300+ hours unlocking all the arcane secrets from the very difficult Shiren the Wanderer.
My biggest complaint is harder to quantify, which is that I just don't enjoy TWEWY as much as other RPGs. In another RPG, I might enjoy teasing open a long chain of puzzles to unlock a final mystery; but in TWEWY, the inter-twined pins/brands/items system feels very flat and arbitrary. I imagine this is what a good RPG must seem like to someone who doesn't like RPGs. Maybe it's the weird setting, or maybe its the unabashedly massive grind, but for whatever the reason, I plan to finish this game for the plot but don't plan to recommend it to any of my friends.
Absolutely amazing April 27, 2008
Alex Morris
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I Love this game so much! It's so original and just takes full advantage of everything that the DS can do. The game is a little tricky to get used to but it really eases new players into it. You get to choose your level of difficulty at any given point in the game. You decide how easy or hard the game is going to be. You also choose when and who you want to fight. There are NO random battles to drag you down in this game. I would recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a new and great RPG.
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