Neptunia Virtual Stars

There is no doubt that Neptunia Virtual Stars is a perfect match for the world of social media and Vtubers. The execution of this title may not be perfect in the peripheral elements, but overall it is a solid addition to the series. Returning fans and new ones alike will enjoy seeing their favourite Goddesses and getting to know the new characters. The fact that the Vtubers are real outside of the the experience is a big pull for Vtuber fans as they can get to know their favourite stars more deeply through this experience. Even when the main story is concluded, there is still plenty of V-Cubes to collect, new strong enemies to kill and Beatnik to master, making it a title that can't be missed for fans of the Neptunia universe.

Neptunia Virtual Stars is one of my favourite spin-offs in the delightful franchise as it contains a brilliant blend of gameplay elements, a wonderful cast of characters, and one of the funniest meta premises in gaming history.

Neptunia Virtual Stars is a good game in the long-running series, but does fall short in terms of being a great gateway game. The shooting action is solid and the hack and slash combat is rewarding, but the camera does get in the way too often and the lack of an English dub will make this tougher to get into for newcomers. For longtime fans, it’s a completely different change of pace for the cast and feels like a nice shot in the arm from the norm. It also has a pleasing visual style and uses a far more modern graphical styles than one might expect from what’s normally a low-tech series that isn’t known for pushing visual boundaries. The soundtrack is a lot of fun and keeps you humming and tapping your toes to the songs.

Neptunia Virtual Stars is a great new direction for the series. It's weird and unexpected, but it's a breath of fresh-air compared to the familiar territory the last few games have been treading. There's a massive amount of love for vtuber culture in this game and it helps lift up the fun and refreshing story. It's a shame that the combat couldn't reach the same highs as the rest of the game, but while it's a major wrinkle, it doesn't ruin the entire experience. Any hardcore vtuber fan needs to play this game, and some clunky combat won't change that.

If you can get past its confusing story, Neptunia Virtual Stars has a great setting and decent combat that fans of the series will enjoy.

After the disastrous Super Neptunia RPG packaged in 2019 by Artisan Studios, we harbored the sincere fear of finding another title that is poor in every respect in our hands. The Japanese developer Compile Heart has instead taken over the reins of its flagship franchise, and although Neptunia Virtual Stars lends its side to several critical issues, the result is all in all enjoyable. The gameplay and the balance of the difficulty should be revised, but overall the spin-off manages to effectively carry out its duty, which is to entertain historical fans of the saw and fans of virtual YouTubers.

Once again, I find myself disappointed in a Neptunia spin-off. I always appreciate Compile Heart trying different things with the series, but many don’t turn out well. I have a sudden urge to replay Producing Perfection, the other game in which the CPUs become idols. At least that game was over in three hours and had a lot of fun moments. The terrible combat ruined most of Neptunia Virtual Stars for me, and when I’m not enjoying a Neptunia game, it just makes me sad. The wait for another good Neptunia spin-off continues…

Neptunia Virtual Stars is best served to either VTuber fans, Neptunia fans, or both. There’s little appeal here for other types of gamers. There are many, many better third-person shooters out there, and plenty of JRPGs worthy of a huge timesink. At least you’ll get a full-length, fully-voiced adventure for your trouble with Neptunia Virtual Stars, but unless you’ve really got a thing for the VTube lifestyle mixed with hyper-cuteness, your time is probably better spent elsewhere.

Neptunia Virtual Stars may be an action game but it has many similarities to the rest of the series. The characters talk too much and the gameplay is quite simple despite the complicated tutorials but once you get into it the action is fast paced and inoffensive.

Nearly everything about Neputnia Virtual Stars just feels like half-assed fanservice for the sake of fanservice. The gameplay – while somewhat competent – feels undercooked, the story is flat out boring, and the presentation doesn’t do much to salvage the first two. The inclusion of VTuber content is dim bright spot, but it’s not bright enough to bring this game up to any sort of recommendation. Prospective players should just skip this one, and Neptunia fans deserve better than this disappointment.

It isn’t really very often that I’m so negative about a game, but Neptunia Virtual Stars does so many things wrong that I just couldn’t ignore it. Normally, this would be the part where I would say, “only get this game if you’re a fan of the series,” but I’d be wary even then. As little as I’ve talked about it within this review, this game is obviously little more than an attempt to pander to the Vtuber fandom. I don’t say that with any disrespect—if you like Vtubers, then more power to you. But, Idea Factory, next time you make some sort of crossover titles, keep in mind that you’re capable of making quality crossovers—like Superdimension Neptunia VS Sega Hard Girls—and maybe don’t try to patch up a lack of content by slapping Vtubers everywhere like they’re bandages.

While Neptune and her friends are just as enthusiastic and charming as ever, both the gameplay and story feels a little stale. It’s great that the developer has managed to seamlessly blend together real V-tubers with the ladies from Gamesindustri, but it’s a real shame that there’s nothing else that lifts this game above average.

Neptunia Virtual Stars is a tough game to recommend even for the fans. The regular cast of characters remains as engaging as ever, while the newcomers fit in quite nicely. The story is a nice take on parodying the current state of the internet using the unique viewpoint that the series has carved for itself. Beyond the overly long cut scenes, the gameplay is dull despite the variety that the title and minigames try to provide. While this game won't attract any newcomers, hardcore fans might want to dabble with this after a very deep discount.

Unless you fit into a very specific box — that is, V-Tube fan who loves repetitive action, meandering dialogue, and awful noises — you’re probably not going to get much out of Neptunia Virtual Stars.

The inclusion of popular Vtubers’ isn’t enough to save Neptunia Virtual Stars, as it ends up being an underwhelming mess that fails to deliver.

Those looking to spend more time with the goddesses will at least enjoy more of their humour, and VTuber fans will likely get a kick out of their cameos. However, gameplay is very much lacking, with everything being done considerably better elsewhere, and ultimately, as an overall experience, Neptunia Virtual Stars remains a disappointment.

Very little of Neptunia Virtual Stars makes it a franchise entry worth playing. Simplicity here lacks the success of other entries, instead offering something clunky and dull. Consider this a Neptunia title barely meant for die-hard fans and no one else.

Should you play Neptunia Virtual Stars? Unless you’re a fan of the quirky Goddesses, I’d give this one a wide berth. Sure, shooting a range of weird and wonderful enemies is fun for a while, but if third person shooting or hacking-and-slashing is what you’re after, there are way better games to do that in. Ultimately, its annoyances far outweigh its pros, and there’s not much here worth sticking around for.

Neptunia Virtual Stars is largely unsuccessful at being a captivating product meant to represent Vtubers. The story is bland. The gameplay is boring. The character interactions are largely uninteresting. Some of its environments and storytelling bits shine momentarily, then drag players back to the reality that it is a repetitively dull experience. Compile Heart and Idea Factory tried to throw so many components and ingredients into Neptunia Virtual Stars that the resulting stew has no flavor at all; no single aspect or element quite stands out and is ultimately forgettable.