By: Omar (@siegarettes)
- Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed
- Developer - Tamsoft
- Publisher - Idea Factory
- PC (Steam), PS Vita
- Rating - T
Read our original review on Neptunia U here
Having thoroughly toured the world of the JRPG, Neptune and company now venture out into the world of the arena brawler. Once again their fight takes place in Gamindustri, a world full of puns and jokes poking fun at the real world of Japanese game development. Instead of taking part in the main series Console Wars, however, this time the team is battling to show off for Dengekiko and Famitsu, two reporters based on the Japanese game magazines. The plot is a side story to the main series, removed from any stakes or events that occur there, and essentially exists to set up a reason for you to make each character brawl against hundreds of enemies.
In many ways Neptunia U invites comparison to Koei’s Dynasty Warriors, with crowds of enemies to control and crush using various combos. It lacks the legs of that series, however, with smaller, more contained battlegrounds and simpler objectives. It feels constrained by comparison, with fewer options for crowd control, more limited combos and no larger progression to each battle.
Even taken on its own merits combat can quickly become tiresome. There’s a strange lethality to the enemies, where a few hits can take you out or set you up for attacks that you can’t escape from. Instead of using different situational combos it becomes safest to simply spam the light attack then finish it with a strong attack or special move. Along with its medal system, which requires you to kill a certain amount of a specific enemy to earn equipment. Despite the color, character, and humor surrounding it, Neptunia U’s core combat loop feels expressionless. Every aspect of it is tuned for a grind, leaving you to slowly plod toward the next plot point or piece of equipment that might give you just a small moment of interest. Even that plot, which initially charms due to the smart localization and silly voice acting, quickly becomes tiresome due to the overwrought script full of redundant lines that grind the pace to a crawl.
These are problems that’d probably feel less troublesome on its original platform, the PS Vita. In short sessions, Neptunia U’s structure makes more sense. Playing a couple rounds or listening to short pieces of dialogue on the go makes sense, and I might even recommend it for people looking for something colorful to burn some time while waiting. That is, if it wasn’t for the Costume Break system. Take too much damage or use strong attack too many times and a short cutscenes showing your character’s clothes rip off will play, leaving you basically naked. It’s hard to even call it “offensive” but it’s definitely eye roll worthy and more than anything else in the series, makes it uncomfortable to play, even at home. I can’t imagine playing it in public. The writers try to poke fun at it, but joking about how playing it is going to get you on a government list doesn’t do much but draw attention to it.
Maybe there’s something here for those diehards that love the series, but personally Neptunia U felt like a tiresome exercise in repetition, even as someone with a high tolerance for anime trash and repetitive brawlers. There’s a gem of charm in it, but it’s overshadowed by the absolute grind of the structure.