World’s End Club is a new puzzle/platforming adventure from NIS America on Nintendo Switch. Learn more about it in our World’s End Club review!

 

World’s End Club from NIS America is a new puzzle/platforming adventure that has you playing as the Go-Getters Club. They’re a group of misfit students from all over Japan, who unfortunately end up trapped in a bizarre theme park during a class trip. Why has this happened to them? Can you use each of their abilities to survive and find a way to escape before it’s too late? This is a new story from writers Kotaro Uchikoshi and Kazutaka Kodaka, who have previously worked on the excellent Zero Escape series, as well as on the Danganronpa series.

The game features a varied cast of kids – who, yes, are younger than the characters from the Zero Escape and Danganronpa series – who must survive after a meteor lands and sends the world into a post-apocalyptic turmoil. They were on the school bus on their way to Kamakura when the meteor hit… and that’s the last thing they remember. The mysterious theme park on which they wake up is not as badly damaged, but there are many questions to answer. Why are you in the underwater theme park World’s End Land – a theme park that actually never opened its doors? Why is everyone wearing a wristband?

 

Since the game’s action is presented in a 2.5D plane, you’ll move around with the left analog stick or the D-Pad, jumping with the B button and performing actions with the Y button. The game is fully voice acted, and you can move from dialogue to dialogue with the A button. This button is also used for activating a Buddy Skill, which is the special ability for each of the members of the Go-Getters Club. If you’re taking on a stage you’ve previously cleared, you can press the X button to fast-forward through the text. This will allow you to take on some of the alternate story paths to see what you missed the first time around.

Your group will include Reiko, who is sort of the unofficial leader of the Go-Getters Club. He’s a bit naïve and completely oblivious to girls but is physically strong. We then have Vanilla, who is very sharp-minded, even if her companions think she’s a bit ditsy. Kansai is a passionate and hot-headed kid who considers Reiko as his archrival. Chuko is a short-tempered girl of a small frame who makes quick decisions since she hates to wait around. Mowchan is a quiet boy who plays to the “chubby because he eats a lot” trope. Nyoro is the daughter of a well-respected scientist, which is why she’s a logical thinker who avoids irrational actions. While she is great at math and science, she also has a passion for fashion. Aniki is the cool and tight-lipped member of the gang, who has changed from a once generous boy into someone who is tough on everyone, including himself.

 

Then we have Pai, a compassionate, lovable girl who is almost like a kind mother to the group. Tattsun is a very serious and disciplined individual who does not like it when rules are broken. Pochi is a shy and introverted kid who is always trying to have as much time with his portable game console as possible. Jennu is a fan of the Hosekizuka theater group, and she dreams of one day becoming a member. She’s an elementary school student that shows signs of being more mature than the rest of the group, which is why she tries to look out for everyone.

The Danganronpa series has the beloved Monokuma, a stuffed robotic bear that tortures the characters in each game in the franchise – and who is later joined by the Monokubs in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. For World’s End Club, we get Pielope, who will watch over the kids as they take on the Game of Fate. We first get to see Pielope in a movie that shows an art style more akin to real-life in which it’s torturing them. As expected, this is a role she’ll also play for this particular adventure!

 

The rules for the Game of Fate are very simple and are explained clearly right from the start. The things around each kid’s wrist? They’re aptly called wristbands. Each one of them has Tasks, which are missions that must be completed. The twist is that Tasks for one wristband are those of other people. Whoever is wearing a wristband with another kid’s task is called a Taskmate. The first person to complete their task will be declared as the sole winner, and the prize is a Magic Key. This must all be done within an hour, and if time is up and there’s no winner, everyone loses and will die.

And our of time might not seem like much, and it really isn’t. Without spoiling things too much, there’s a couple of story plot-twists that separate World’s End Club from the Zero Escape and Danganronpa games, although it does send a nod in their general direction during the starting segment of the game. After this, the gameplay will change a bit, and you’ll be taking on a different type of experience, which is why this one will end up being a love it or hate it type of game. You’re looking at 10-12 hours or so to beat World’s End Club for the first time, and you can go back and check some of the extra story paths to get the whole picture. World’s End Club is out on Nintendo Switch with a $39.99 asking price.

Disclaimer
This World’s End Club review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by NIS America.