Hyperdimension Neptunia

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 135 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 78 out of 135
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 135
  3. Negative: 35 out of 135
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  1. Vashyron
    Mar 9, 2011
    5
    As someone who has played it all the way through, I would only recommend this game to anyone who really likes Visual Novels / Anime enough to be able to look past this game's shortcomings, if your looking for something that has decent Gameplay, I suggest you look elsewhere.
  2. vahn
    Apr 26, 2011
    7
    For a game that they say it's lacking or terrible, I actually had a lot of fun: the battle system is deep and complex with the possibility to custom your combos, the characters are weird but not annoying (sometimes!) and the story, which is NOT supposed to be taken seriously, is fun and ironic with lots of game references and fan services. There are few flaws in the battle system, like theFor a game that they say it's lacking or terrible, I actually had a lot of fun: the battle system is deep and complex with the possibility to custom your combos, the characters are weird but not annoying (sometimes!) and the story, which is NOT supposed to be taken seriously, is fun and ironic with lots of game references and fan services. There are few flaws in the battle system, like the item system based on the % that you give on a specific item or the impossibility to escape unless you get an escape button. There are 4 lands to explore but sadly you can't visit cities (the shop is supposed to be online so...) and eventually each land tend to be the same routine (look for quest/event->go to dungeon), which is too bad since they are all different. And another big flaw are the characters who, although you'll have 6 spots, you will be playing most of the game with just 3; the other 3 are available near the end of the game! Now this is actually a big issue in my opinion because during the game you actually have 2 more characters with you...as GUESTS! Yes, you won't be able to use them unless you Download AND pay them from the internet! And it's not only for them: basically anything can be downloaded if you want to play at full speed, like costumes, events, armors...even level caps! They're not costy but I'd rather want a more expensive but complete game instead of a cheap but poor game. Bottom line, I'm giving it a 7 because I had fun but it lacks so much content that makes you wonder why they didn't put all of this stuff in the game from the beginning....… Expand
  3. Razzee
    Aug 2, 2019
    7
    Story: I knew a good portion of the plot from playing Re;Birth1 a year ago, but there are some differences. Firstly, compared to Re;Birth1, the characters seem very self-restrained; Neptune is no longer a mindless pudding addict meme-maker, and I think that's a (really) good thing. In fact, the word pudding is never mentioned. She makes no jokes about Noire's loneliness every frame either.Story: I knew a good portion of the plot from playing Re;Birth1 a year ago, but there are some differences. Firstly, compared to Re;Birth1, the characters seem very self-restrained; Neptune is no longer a mindless pudding addict meme-maker, and I think that's a (really) good thing. In fact, the word pudding is never mentioned. She makes no jokes about Noire's loneliness every frame either. This sums up to the aura of hostility between each goddesses; they are reluctant to help Neptune in doing anything. The only real buddies Neptune made throughout the game are IF and Compa. Talking about them, since they receive more screen time, or I was not paying much attention, Compa is potentially a very funny character with her grandfather's quotes and other absurdities (like a part of one of the legendary weapons being a heirloom from her grandfather, who conveniently found it on his yard). Every optional quest has a little backstory read by 5pb on her radio channel. The problem with the story in this game is how slow-paced it is; Neptune finds the first Key Fragment very early in the game, then there is a lot of filler (go to dungeon, watch cutscene, repeat) with uninteresting stuff, just to resume unfolding on the late stages of the game. Compa says that the most important are the beginning and the ending, but this is obviously not true. In any case, the concept was well established for the sequels (which the developers apparently didn't expect to make, given how this game ended). Still talking about story, what surprises me the most about Japanese games is the amount of effort they invest on side content, which may not be viewed by the player, easily skippable if one does not pay attention. The game does not explain how shares work nor how to recruit the goddesses, yet there are voiced cutscenes after you recruit each one of them.

    Combat system: Trinity Universe cemented the path, while Hyperdimension Neptunia took the opposite way. It shares a lot of similarities with the previous game, since a lot of content was recycled from TU (most enemies, some maps); both are traditional dungeon crawlers, wherein a battle is triggered every X steps taken, creating an isolated instance. TU is a mix of RPG with hack n' slash mechanics; 4-button long combos are inputted to deal more damage, linking attacks from everyone in the party to unleash even greater combos and damage. Basically, Cross: light physical attack (high hit count), Square: heavy physical attack (low hit count), Triangle: magical attack (multi-target) and Circle: custom skill (eject, healing etc). I liked that system a lot (is there any other similar game?). However, the developers decided to scrap the solid system combat from TU to make something anew in HDN. The combo system is still there, but the player must create them with every skill obtained. Needless to say, but I just spammed the same combo for every character during the whole game; I'm not a fighting games player to memorize all these damn combos. They thought that "customization" was a good thing no matter where it was applied, although Cross Edge flopped for its wide amount of complex customization. The real issue is how healing takes place; there is a menu called "Item Skills", where you distribute percentage points to increase the likelihood of being healed or receiving different buffs during battle. Dying to a boss because my HP was at 51% and not 50%, thus not triggering the healing effect was utterly frustrating. To worsen things, some Item Skills are given priority over others (if you're at 30% HP, it's the Item Skill whose condition is to heal under 50% that gets triggered, healing in a smaller quantity of HP).

    Environment/art: dungeons are still large corridors with repeated layouts, but at least there is a greater variation of them here. I think the graphics are pretty good, mainly the 3D models for the characters, that no longer look like they are made of wax. The frame-rate is slightly choppy in some dungeons (factories) while stable in others (snow). I read that lowering the resolution to 720p amenizes the issue, but it didn't bother me that much. Oh, yes, there is a 3D Macaroon in this game (shopkeeper in TU). Of course, the major selling point of the game: living, beautiful sprites drawn by the talented artist Tsunako. I love her style. Talking about the sprites, they seem thicker in this game, as well as the manga-style expressions. The font chosen by NISA for localization is very stylish. Background images in cutscenes appear to be more varied.

    OST: I have read amountful comments stating that the sound-track is mediocre, but I liked it. Not every song thrilled me, but I think that each one of them suited well the themes for every dungeon where they play. During cutscenes the song played is changed to match the situation portrayed, which shows the care they had in making cutscenes.

    I ran out of words but, I suggest checking this game if you're a fan of the franchise.    … Expand
  4. undulum
    Jan 26, 2020
    7
    While the combat system is pretty rough, Hyperdimension Neptunia is where the series got its signature blend of turn-based JRPG gameplay and visual novel-style storytelling. If you're a fan of the later games, you owe it to yourself to see where it all began. The characters and humor that made the Neptunia series a fan favorite are here in full bloom.
  5. ytkwvuqsq
    Sep 14, 2022
    5
    Honestly, this game is very mediocre. The gameplay is repetitive, slow, and can freeze. The characters, story, and humor are good, but I wouldn't recommend this game to anybody. It's nowhere near as bad as critics are saying, but this is a fan service game. Of course it would be bad.

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
59
#59 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
45

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 31
  3. Negative: 13 out of 31
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Oct 6, 2011
    80
    As fun as it can be, Neptunia is an extremely niche title. If the only game you ever play is Black Ops, avoid this like a spinning-up death machine. If, however, you really miss the JRPG heydays of the PSone and PS2, you need this. Now. [June 2011 p76]
  2. GameCritics
    Jul 7, 2011
    75
    If Hyperdimension Neptunia's take on the JRPG doesn't break any new ground, it's certainly a step in the right direction for the developers. More accessible than Trinity: Universe while maintaining and expanding on that game's witty style, HDN is another perfect title for anyone looking for an easy entry to the genre, or really anyone who appreciates some laugh-out-loud comedy with their RPGing.
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  3. Multiplayer.it
    May 27, 2011
    63
    Hyperdimension Neptunia is a game dedicated to an audience of fans of Anime and RPGs. It is a classic dungeon crawling JRPG with a intresting battle system, a pretty and fun shallow story, and also a poor graphic. If you are a fan of this genre, or just want something different and want to play a fun humorous game, this game is definitely recommended.
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