The first TWEWY

[MonoChaos]

so how connected is this game to the first one? Can you play this one without playing the first one at all or do you need to play the first one to properly grasp anything?

[TheyCallMeRadec]

Yeah, this is a direct sequel. I'd recommend playing the original TWEWY prior to NEO.

[Khelder]

This is a sequel, set 3 years after the first game. Several characters from the first game will show up, but most of their involvement/details will be told to you, by being told to the new main characters — however, this does mean that you learn some information later than would have given you some clues/insights into the story (but, again, this just put you in the same boat as Rindo et al)

There are also several little Easter-eggs/jokes/references that you might not notice if you haven't played the first game. You can understand the broad strokes of the story without needing to play the original, but you will get more out of NEO if you have.

You can pick up some (but not all) of the relevant information by watching the anime instead of by playing the first game... but the first game is really good, so I would say play it if you can.

[GarlicIsLife]

I went in blind and I really like it. I didn't have a clue that it's a sequel but in no moment it feels like I miss some information.

Looking at the old TWEWY style from DS/Switch it feels like the prequel wouldn't be my cup of tea anyway.

So if you watch trailers of the first game and dig it you should start with this one I guess, but you really don't have to.

[GarlicIsLife]

I am now at the end game. Now there are a lot of things happening that go a little over my head. You still get everything that is happening but some character relations and dialogues imply that you should know the prior game. It's not bad but it makes me think I should have read the first game or a least a summary of the story and the characters.

[Somnia]

maybe the anime helps, it covers the first game

[kozerd.lb]

The movie covers the first game on Nintendo DS.
So you'll understand maybe 90% of what's happening in Neo with this.

But it doesn't cover the extra story content bridging the gap to NEO only available in The World Ends with You: Final Remix on Nintendo Switch.
The last 10% where you can learn how some characters already know each other and why some people like to die too often or why some people are still alive.

[mdesaleah]

Originally posted by Somnia:

maybe the anime helps, it covers the first game

Few months later, but the anime is also very abridged.

Its an ok summary, but you'll be missing a lot of the little character details that help the first game's story a lot.