izigame.me

⭐⭐
I really wanted to love World’s End Club. With creators like Kazutaka Kodaka from Danganronpa and Kotaro Uchikoshi from Zero Escape, I expected something smart, strange, and emotionally gripping. What I got instead was a confused and underwhelming experience that never quite figures out what it wants to be.
It starts strong but quickly loses focus
The game opens with a great hook. A group of kids wakes up in an abandoned underwater theme park and gets thrown into a high-stakes Game of Fate. It’s stylish and strange in all the right ways and it immediately feels like a setup for something wild. But then the story takes a turn and becomes a slow, often aimless road trip across a post-apocalyptic Japan.
That shift in tone might have worked if the characters and plot beats were strong enough to carry it. Unfortunately, the writing never quite gets there. Some moments try to be emotional or deep but they don’t land because the characters never feel fully developed. Most of their interactions are surface-level and the big twists come off more awkward than surprising. It feels like the story keeps building to something but rarely delivers on the tension it sets up.
Gameplay feels more like a chore than a feature
The gameplay is technically a mix of side-scrolling platforming and light puzzle-solving but almost none of it is fun. The controls are stiff and the level design is flat. Each kid gets their own special ability but these powers don’t lead to interesting gameplay moments. Combat is minimal and boss fights are either laughably easy or just irritating. The game wants to be accessible but ends up feeling lifeless.
The visual novel segments are longer than they need to be and full of exposition. There are dialogue choices and some branching paths but they barely affect the story. It’s more like watching a story unfold than actively shaping it. It doesn’t feel like your input matters.
Some things work
Not everything falls flat. The character designs are cute and visually memorable. There are flashes of personality that shine through when the group is just talking and joking around. The Japanese voice acting is solid and the art style has a colorful, Saturday morning cartoon charm. If you’re looking for something low-stakes and simple, it might work for younger players or someone in the mood for a breezy experience.
Final thoughts
World’s End Club had so much potential. It came from people known for creating clever, layered, emotionally intense stories. This feels like a stripped-down version of that kind of storytelling, with too many safe choices and not enough edge. It is not a disaster but it is definitely a letdown.
Unless you’re a hardcore fan of the creators or curious enough to see for yourself, it’s probably best to play something else. This trip across Japan looks good on paper but in practice, it’s just not worth the ride.
Bottom line
Great concept, nice art, and a few fun character moments but the weak story and flat gameplay make this one hard to recommend. Was so boring I refunded it after 30 minutes of gameplay.