It's a NEO world!

An unexpected yet dearly welcomed sequel to one of the greatest RPGs ever made.

I came in expecting a rehash of the first game, and was thoroughly surprised at how well-executed and fresh the transition from the DS's dual-screen gameplay to NEO's traditional single-screen gameplay was. Combat flows seamlessly since every character is controlled by one button, which lets you switch between them instantly while giving you an extra layer of depth by being able to control multiple party members at once. Despite some poorly designed enemies and bosses, I loved mixing and matching pins to see new combos come together.

NEO, much like its predecessor, exudes style in every aspect—from the characters’ fashion to the phenomenal soundtrack that includes both fantastic new tracks and stellar remixes from the original game. It just goes to show how you don't need a massive budget to have a strong presentation, which I feel is a pain point for a lot of other smaller JRPGs.

The game’s cast won me over completely, with Shoka coming out as my favorite new character. It was really admirable to see a cast of ordinary people banding together for a common purpose. It struck a perfect balance between how people talk normally and the JRPG quirkiness you come to expect.

The writing is attuned to a newer generation of audience, mirroring how it's a sequel fourteen years later. Despite the game only taking place three years in the future, I was really pleased with how much more I could relate to these newer characters, who live in times much more similar to ours. I'm confident this game will serve as a wonderful timepiece of culture in this era, as the first represented the late 2000s.

It's a NEO world!

An unexpected yet dearly welcomed sequel to one of the greatest RPGs ever made.

I came in expecting a rehash of the first game, and was thoroughly surprised at how well-executed and fresh the transition from the DS's dual-screen gameplay to NEO's traditional single-screen gameplay was. Combat flows seamlessly since every character is controlled by one button, which lets you switch between them instantly while giving you an extra layer of depth by being able to control multiple party members at once. Despite some poorly designed enemies and bosses, I loved mixing and matching pins to see new combos come together.

NEO, much like its predecessor, exudes style in every aspect—from the characters’ fashion to the phenomenal soundtrack that includes both fantastic new tracks and stellar remixes from the original game. It just goes to show how you don't need a massive budget to have a strong presentation, which I feel is a pain point for a lot of other smaller JRPGs.

The game’s cast won me over completely, with Shoka coming out as my favorite new character. It was really admirable to see a cast of ordinary people banding together for a common purpose. It struck a perfect balance between how people talk normally and the JRPG quirkiness you come to expect.

The writing is attuned to a newer generation of audience, mirroring how it's a sequel fourteen years later. Despite the game only taking place three years in the future, I was really pleased with how much more I could relate to these newer characters, who live in times much more similar to ours. I'm confident this game will serve as a wonderful timepiece of culture in this era, as the first represented the late 2000s.