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Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 (PC) Overview

By: RJ (@rga_02)

• Hyperdemension Neptunia Re;Birth 1
• Developer - Compile Heart
• Publisher - Idea Factory
• PlayStation Vita & PC
• Rating - T

There has been a recent surge in Japanese games on the PC. You have Square starting to port various Final Fantasy titles, Konami with Metal Gear, Capcom with Street Fighter, just to name a few. Not to be outdone, Idea Factory/Compile Heart now has joined the party. The consolewars have finally landed on your PC! It’s Nep Nep, in the ever so glorious 1080p.

For the most part, thisis a no frills port. Everything from the Vita version of Re;Birth 1 is present with the PC port. But unlike recent console to PC ports (like Final Fantasy XIII-2) where the DLC is now included for free, you still have to purchase them. That might irk a few people, but the DLC prices are fairly cheap should you really need them. Performance wise, it feels a bit more zippy than the Vita version, but the framerate drops are still present with this port. Fortunately enough, said drops won’t hinder your experience.

But most likely you’re thinking, what version of Re;Birth1 should I get? From a personal standpoint, I prefer playing my jRPGs on handhelds now. It’s mainly because I just don’t spend a lot of time at home anymore. I’m always on the go. Of course I make an exception for Final Fantasy, but in a perfect world, I would be playing all my jRPGs on either my Vita or 3DS. As I was playing through the PC version of Re;Birth1, I felt it was more of a chore to play. While on the Vita, I felt more at ease mainly due to the convenience factor. I can easily pick up where I left off thanks to the standby feature. But not a lot of people are like me and would prefer gaming on a larger screen. This port is perfect for said people. Since the Vita version of Re;Birth 1 is not compatible with the Vita TV in North America & Europe (as of this writing), this port is the only option out there if you want to play this game on a larger screen. And like I said earlier, this is a no frills port, so you won’t be missing any content that would be present on the Vita.

But regardless of framerate or resolution, I’m glad that this port exist. One reason is that it gives more options to play the series. You don’t need a PlayStation anymore to run around Gamindustri. For the people who have missed out on this series because they didn’t own a PlayStation console, now is their chance to finally get to experience it. But most importantly, this port shows that the Japanese gaming industry itself is now taking the PC ecosystem seriously. And for that alone, you should raise up your pudding cup.

If you are more interested in a detailed review of this game, click here.