Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution

Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution is a solid new entry in the long-running franchise that excels in some ways and falls short in others. The combat is fast-paced, but does get draining due to the repetitious dungeon structure and lack of auto-battle as a feature. Fortunately, the strong voice acting serves as a motivator to keep going as does seeing where the amusing story will go. Visually, it retains the core look of the PS Vita-rooted series, just with a cleaner look across the board when compared to the older portable hardware. Thankfully, the framerate doesn't falter on the PS5 and the game as a whole is a solid recommendation to those who enjoy the franchise already -- and is a solid starting point for those looking to get into it since the gameplay is in-line with other entries, just more fine-tuned.

I like the Neptunia series. It has plenty of potential, and it’s shown itself capable of creating genuinely impressive titles. That’s exactly why its recent string of spinoff mishaps has worried me so much. Still, its most recent iteration has given me some hope. Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution is far from perfect and feels years behind where it should be, but its dedication to improving various aspects of its long-standing elements, particularly its dungeons, has given me some hope. I’m not sure that I can recommend Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution to the average JRPG fan, given its questionable quality. If you’re a pre-existing Neptunia fan, however, you’ll probably dig it.