European release confirmed for The World Ends With You

In a recent press release, Square-Enix announced that it’s exciting new game Subarashiki Kono Sekai: It’s a Wonderful World will be receiving a European release as The World Ends with You. The game is scheduled to be released for the DS in the spring of 2008. A North American release date has not yet been set for this modern day RPG from the creators of Kingdom Hearts, but now that an English translation has been confirmed it is only a matter of time.

The World Ends with You is set in modern day Shibuya, Japan, and follows the adventures of a young boy named Neku. He finds himself in Shibuya one day with a skull shaped badge and a text message on his phone that informs him that he only has seven days left in this world. By playing the shinigami’s game, he may be able to validate his existance and survive. He is aided in this endeavor by Shiki, Joshua, Beat and Rhyme, others also trapped in this cruel game. Using his telepathic powers, he must read people’s minds to find the enemy noize and find a way to make it through the week.

The most intriguing part is the way the world works. Battle takes place on both screens, with Neku on the bottom controlled with the stylus and one of his partners on the top controlled with the directional pad. Fashion also effects the way things work, as different districts have different styles. Certain clothes are more effective in one area than another. Another interesting prospect is that the badges Neku uses to fight level up even when you aren’t playing.

This game looks amazing, and could be another winner for Square-Enix. Its good to see that the company is capable of more than remakes.

Read [Kotaku] Also Read [The Wii Effect]