Critics praised the departure from other popular titles such as Square Enix's "Final Fantasy" and "Kingdom Hearts" series. Both the graphical presentation and the soundtrack were very well received. Reviews also commented that, initially, the character designs were too similar to previous Square Enix titles and may be off-putting to some though in the Shibuya setting they were "absolutely in their element." Some reviewers also complained that the Stride Cross Battle System was too complex for new players; "Eurogamer" review felt the "sink or swim" reliance on learning the complex battle system was a significant stumbling block for the game. "GamePro" noted that the stylus input was imprecise, often mistaking movement and attack actions. On the other hand, the system was praised for its approach, and for the ability to alter the difficulty of the system within the game. Neku Sakuraba's character arc was praised by several reviewers, such as "G4TV" editor Jonathan Hunt, who praised his growth from a "mute teenager" to a "civil human". "1UP.com" review summarized that the game is much more than the sum of its parts: "By all rights, "The World Ends With You" should be an annoying disaster, a bundle of tired gimmicks and trite clichés. Yet somehow all the things that should be unbearable fall into place and create a game that's far more unique, interesting, and addictive than it has any right to be."