Basically the first game if it had, you know, good gameplay. NEO isn't perfect, since there are questionable writing choices at times, particularly with the under or misuse of certain characters later on, some of the nostalgia pandering is a bit much (why did Joshua need to be here, again?), and despite it being FAR more fun in terms of gameplay, it can still feel quite repetitive at points. Nevertheless, NEO is a great game in its own right and a more than worthy sequel to the DS original. The new characters are charming and (mostly) well-developed, and they don't feel upstaged by any of the old characters. I got really invested in some of their struggles, ESPECIALLY those of Shoka. [I wish the best for her and Rindo going forward... :)] More importantly, THE GAMEPLAY IS ACTUALLY GOOD NOW! Tying the pins and their respective psychs to specific buttons and party members feels so much more intuitive and fun than whatever the hell they tried with two screens back on the DS. Experimenting with different psychs, stringing combos together to lay down stronger beats upon the enemies... it's all so much fun. Plus, as expected from TWEWY, the presentation is as hip as ever, despite missing much of the late-2000s charm of the original game, and the soundtrack is an absolute bop. While I had a few issues with it, I was overall very satisfied with NEO: The World Ends With You, and it makes me feel even more guilty for not enjoying the original. I will never forgive Square Enix for throwing this game out in the open with no fanfare.