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NEO: The World Ends with You received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising its distinctive style, Shibuya setting, story, characters, and action combat. The PS4 page on Metacritic currently lists an 80 Metascore from 60 critic reviews. That score is specific to the PS4 page, not a universal rating for every version.
How was NEO: The World Ends with You reviewed?
Metacritic’s PS4 critic-review page displays an 80 Metascore and labels reception “Generally Favorable.” Its displayed breakdown is 45 positive reviews, 12 mixed reviews, and zero negative reviews, out of 60 critic reviews. These figures are a platform-specific snapshot accessed in 2026 and may change as the page is updated. See the PS4 critic-review aggregate on Metacritic.
The excerpts on that page point to a game whose appeal is more about presentation and story than a radical reinvention of its genre. Critics often praise its visual identity, Shibuya atmosphere, cast, and battles, while some note a slow start, information-heavy menus, and familiar mechanics.
What do critics praise?
Style and Shibuya
The game’s distinctive presentation and use of Shibuya as its setting are recurring points of praise in the captured review excerpts. The location gives the story and its supernatural Reapers’ Game a strong sense of place.
#1 Best Overall
- Delve into a vividly illustrated Shibuya, animated with style, music and monsters
- Collect and wield hundreds of Psych abilities to battle surreal threats
- Investigate the world around you and beat the "Reapers' Game" to survive
Story and characters
Reviewers describe the story as engaging and the characters as charming or emotionally legible. Those are critical impressions rather than a guarantee that every player will connect with the cast, but they make the narrative a central part of the game’s appeal.
Action combat
Several excerpts praise the action combat and battle system. Returning fans should temper that praise with one reviewer’s observation that the sequel does not significantly innovate on the series’ mechanics: the combat may be enjoyable without feeling wholly new.
Rank #2
- Action-Packed Battles – Switch between melee and ranged attacks against enemies and bosses across a variety of open field maps; Tight controls and fluid combat are simple to learn while offering plenty of depth for experienced action gamers
- Players can perform high-speed battle actions—combining light and heavy attacks—and switch through an arsenal of weaponry while evading enemies with speed and style
- Beautifully Desolate World – The game seamlessly joins together hauntingly beautiful vistas and locations with no area loading; The environments contain a wealth of sub-events in addition to the main storyline
- Masterfully Crafted Story and Characters – NieR:Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their ferocious battle to reclaim a machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful weapons known as machine lifeforms
- Elements of an RPG – Players will obtain a variety of weapon types, level up in battle, learn new combat skills, and customize a loadout that caters to their playstyle
What might frustrate players?
- Slow pacing and a long opening: Some reviewers describe the early stretch as slow or lengthy before the game fully gets going.
- Information-heavy menus: One review calls out menu complexity and the volume of information players need to absorb.
- Familiar mechanics: The combat is praised, but at least one critic found limited mechanical novelty compared with the earlier game.
- Linearity: Review excerpts also identify a linear structure, which may be a drawback for players looking for broad exploration or extensive route choice.
These are individual review observations, not proof that every player will have the same experience. They are most useful as a guide to fit: expect a story-led action RPG with a distinctive presentation, not an open-ended RPG or a major mechanical overhaul.
Is NEO: The World Ends with You worth playing?
It is a promising choice if you value stylish presentation, an atmospheric urban setting, character-driven storytelling, and action battles. It may be a less natural fit if you want a fast opening, highly novel combat, or a non-linear world. The 80 Metascore on the PS4 critic page supports a generally positive critical reception, but the review themes give a clearer sense of whether the game suits your preferences.
Rank #3
![NEO: The World Ends with You Standard - Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51f3dcFFYmS._SL160_.jpg)
- Playable on 2021-07-26
- It was just an ordinary day in Shibuya—or so Rindo thought
- Until he comes into possession of a mysterious pin and gets wrapped up in the so-called 'Reapers’ Game.
- Delve into a vividly illustrated Shibuya, animated with style, music and monsters
- Collect and wield hundreds of Psych abilities to battle surreal threats,Investigate the world around you and beat the "Reapers' Game" to survive
The Games Machine’s review excerpt describes substantial content and estimates more than 50 hours for completionists. That is one outlet’s estimate, not an official playtime figure, and completion time will depend on how much optional content you pursue. Metacritic’s review page includes the attributed excerpt.
Which platforms are listed, and what are the release dates?
The official listings verified here cover PS4 and PC through Steam; they do not establish a complete platform list.
Rank #4
- Delve into a vividly illustrated Shibuya, animated with style, music and monsters
- Collect and wield hundreds of Psych abilities to battle surreal threats
- Investigate the world around you and beat the "Reapers' Game" to survive
| Listing | Release date | Verified details |
|---|---|---|
| PS4 | July 27, 2021 | Square Enix is listed as publisher. The PlayStation Store says the PS4 game is playable on PS5, subject to system requirements and potentially absent PS4 features. |
| PC (Steam) | October 19, 2022 | Steam lists Square Enix and h.a.n.d. as developers and Square Enix as publisher. The page labels the game Action and RPG. |
For PC, Steam lists minimum requirements of Windows 10 64-bit, 6 GB RAM, and 15 GB storage; its recommended requirements are 8 GB RAM and 15 GB storage. Check the live listing for current system requirements and availability. View the Steam listing.
The PlayStation Store describes protagonist Rindo becoming involved in the Reapers’ Game on the streets of Shibuya. View the PS4 listing on the PlayStation Store.
Best Value
- This 2007 Nintendo DS game has been updated for Nintendo Switch
- With HD visuals and a new epilogue that sheds new light on the game's story
- Players can join rhythmic battles using either Joy-Con Controllers or the Nintendo Switch touch screen
How do player ratings compare with critic reviews?
Store ratings are a separate measure from the Metacritic critic aggregate and change over time. At access in 2026, Steam showed 951 total user reviews with 91% positive, plus 16 recent reviews with 93% positive. The PlayStation Store showed an average of 4.54/5 from 2,109 player ratings. These are dated snapshots, not fixed scores or direct comparisons between platforms. Steam user-review listing; PlayStation Store rating.
What this review coverage does not establish
The available critic aggregate here is for PS4; it does not establish a shared score across editions or a reliable technical comparison of Switch, PS4, and PC performance. The listings also do not establish current physical-copy availability. For edition-specific decisions, check the relevant live store listing and look for platform-specific reviews that test performance and controls.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
