I really don't get the hate for this little gem of a game.
Not only SUPER NEPTUNIA RPG is not a bad game, it's actually one of the best entries in the series as it feels much more like a canonical entry rather than a side spin off.
First of all let's talk about the aesthetic of the game. It's a 2D game with many dungeons and platforming sequences. Everything looks stunning, colorfulI really don't get the hate for this little gem of a game.
Not only SUPER NEPTUNIA RPG is not a bad game, it's actually one of the best entries in the series as it feels much more like a canonical entry rather than a side spin off.
First of all let's talk about the aesthetic of the game. It's a 2D game with many dungeons and platforming sequences. Everything looks stunning, colorful and detailed. Most importantly everything is new, original content. A couple of later dungeons are stunning throwback ones.
The level and art design...just superb.
The animations are a bit clunky and magics/abilities aren't as flashy as in other entries of the series but it doesn't tarnish the quality of the presentation.
Minor pixelated areas are also noticeble on bigger screens.
The game looks beautiful but it also sounds just as great. The soundtrack is probably the most inspired and less annoying of the series with melanchonic piano suites and soothing melodies. The score is varied and it goes from calm and traditional to digital and frenetic depending on the area. A stunning work that elevates the story.
Speaking of which, the plot is one of the strongest in the franchise. It starts with the 4 goddesses suffering from amnesia, this explains their understated personalities for a pretty big part of the game. But as you progress, the protagonists slowly regain their memories and older personalities back. The narration isn't oscar worthy but it's consistent and it works, the game has a subtle melanchonic and sad theme going on and it delivers one of the deepest and most charming experiences from a Neptunia game. The tone is totally different from the other games as it's much more serious but it eventually brings the canonical funny meta references and the characters really come to life once you unlock their HDD forms.
The gameplay has been harshly criticised but again I have enjoyed the game's mechanics a lot. First of all we finally have a new quest system based on NPCs instead of having monotonous hunt quests at the guild. This is a good way of forcing the player to explore the beautiful world and interact with the npcs. You won't discover nothing jawdropping but it's a pleasant experience thaf offers variety and a little more depth than in most of previous games. But we also have guilds and many challenging hunt quests neatly divided per enemy's level and area. LOT OF FUN!
The equipment and skill system is identical to the one found in FFIX, needless to say it's flawless and one of the best system a JRPG can offer.
The actual fights are ok, this is not the best tactical game nor a sparkly action game but it balances the two components well, after a few game overs you learn how to position your characters and bring an effective set of skills in battle. Once you get your head around this the game hardly challenges you unless you don't have the right elemental skills forcing you to rely on elemental items or on the flee action.
Overall the mix of strategy, equipment collection, skill mastering and the many quest works really well and it's addictive.
The beautiful dungeons also requires some basic platforming and gem collection. Many users seem to hate the controls but i honestly think they work just fine, if you fall the game is never too punishing and once you unlock the double jump and the pudding magic you will fly through the incredible looking levels.
SUPER NEPTUNIA RPG doesn't score a 10/10 because it has indeed some negative flaws, mostly in its user interface which is slow and lacks many quality of life features such as a bestiary, a weapon/skill comparison window, a complete memorandum on the game's stats and mechanics, info texts about the story progression and so on.
Nothing of this is a deal breaker and makes the game unbearable, it just plays a little old school and slower but the scope of the game isn't infinite so you will surely know where to go next or what to do and buy either way.
Overall I'm very pleased with this release despite the little flaws typical of a budget game, SUPER NEPTUNIA RPG is made with love and passion and respect for this genre. Every fan of the series and the JRPG genre should give it a try, bought it for 15€ with a PSN sale but I would have gladly bought it for the full price.
Also a bit sad it wasn't released on the PSVITA and only on PS4, SWITCH and PC. Either way, buy it and have fun!… Expand