Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed review

 

Developer: Tamsoft Corporation 
Publisher: Idea Factory International
Reviewed on the PlayStation Vita 

 

In the aptly titled Gamindustri universe, video game consoles go to war in the form of magical girl like avatars. Beginning with the original Hyperdimension Neptunia on the PlayStation 3, the series has become famous for its unique blend of RPG gameplay, fan servicey character designs, and humor that satirizes gaming culture. Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed is one of several spin-offs to break away from the RPG genre in the form of a 3D action game. 

The titular character, Neptunia, represents the fallen Sega consoles while Noire, Blanc, and Vert are avatar representatives of the PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles. Most of the console goddesses have younger sisters that represent each company’s portable gaming devices. Nepgear is Sega Game Gear avatar while the black clad Uni is the PlayStation Portable and twin sisters Rom and Ram are of the Nintendo DS lineage. The cast is rounded out the addition of Famitsu and Dengekiko, intrepid journalists that embody the two most influential Japanese gaming magazines. Their role is to create article worthy scenarios for the girls, which usually involves them going on various quests. The overall story is a bit thin, but it does a good job setting up the game’s missions. 

The game is broken up into chapters, which contain quests that usually involve killing a certain amount to unlock additional areas in a battlefield before a boss type enemy appears. Unlike the Dynasty Warrior games, which often involve running back and forth between unlocked territories, Action Unleashed‘s battlefields are more linear and require no backtracking between areas. The game retains some RPG elements as the girls can gain experience to level up abilities as well as equip weapons, armor, and accessories.  The controls are standard for the genre: each character has weak attacks, strong attacks, and special moves that can be chained together for extensive combo chains. As with many games in this genre, the game suffers from repetition and tediousness after a certain point. 

Thankfully this is offset a bit due to each girl having a unique play style along with distinct transformations that amplify their abilities. For example, Neptune uses close range melee attacks while Uni attacks from afar with rifles. The twins both use elemental magic while Blanc relies on slower, powerful attacks. Most levels allow up to two goddesses to participate in battle, encouraging players to experiment to find their ideal combinations. This amount of versatility early on almost makes up for the game’s initial pacing issues: the first chapter is lacking in challenge but is then followed by a sudden spike in difficulty. 

The most controversial gameplay feature is the Costume Break system, which causes each girl’s outfit to be torn up as they take damage. This is similar to Tamsoft’s recent game, the fun but skeevy Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus; the difference here is that the more skin the girls show, the more damage they dish out. This provides a unique risk and reward type scenario. For those opposed to such shameless fan service, the game eventually provides unbreakable outfits. The girls also discuss and criticize the tastelessness of this feature in a self-referential nod. It’s fortunate that Action Unleashed isn’t forced to adhere to the gratuitously unnecessary titillation as the rest of the game is solid.

Thankfully the strong cast of characters, the humor, and funny story bits are charming enough to push the game forward despite the somewhat flimsy story. Aside from the character designs, the series’ other defining aspect is the humor. The games are beloved by fans for optional visual novel like vignettes where the characters converse and offer meta-commentary on the events. Action Unleashed doesn’t disappoint in that regard, offering humorously written and well-acted skits. For purists, there’s also the option to switch to the Japanese language track. Idea Factory International’s localization team did a stellar job with making the dialogue funny and natural, no easy task considering the vast amounts of video game references and memes used.

Excellent visuals and a smooth frame rate rounds out the Action Unleashed experience. The characters animate fluidly, the action is fast, the locales are colorful, and the enemies are nostalgic, making not subtle references to games like Dragon Quest, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and more. The soundtrack reuses music from the previous games, but they complement the colorful stages well. There are generous amounts of customization options that range from alternate hair and outfit colors to game altering changes like locking your characters to level 1.

Overall, this is the best Neptunia spin-off to date and a fun game in its own right. While not wholeheartedly recommended for players new to the series, as a lot of the game’s appeal is dependent on familiarity with the goddesses and their amusing rivalry with each other, Action Unleashed is an excellent addition to the Vita library.