Super Neptunia RPG

Despite its great performance issues, Super Neptunia RPG is a spin-off that offers a refreshing experience in the franchise, introducing us to an unprecedented and beautiful two-dimensional world that will not disappoint fans of the saga.

You need to have an acquired taste to enjoy Super Neptunia RPG, but my first experience with this series satisfied me in general: solid combat system with varied skills and abilities, gorgeous art direction and nice music. however, it is a shame that Switch version suffers from frame rate drops and inconsistency in terms of its technical performance.

Admittedly, the Neptunia franchise has always been a bit of a hard sell. The main characters, particularly Neptune herself, are an acquired taste. Also, if someone doesn't have the stomach for fanservice, then they're going to have a very bad time. Still, there are endearing qualities. Super Neptunia RPG does a fine job of making them palatable to a wider audience. The interesting plot is backed by a unique assortment of villains. Then there's the battle system, which presents an impressive spin on familiar concepts. Aesthetically, this RPG isn't quite the same as before. Maybe that's a good thing for some, but it might not gel with others. Regardless, don't let such a minor nitpick deter you from taking on this quest.

It's light, breezy, gorgeous, and a joy to play.

Super Neptunia RPG actually has more in common with South Park: The Fractured But Whole than it does more traditional RPGs, simply because it takes systems that can often be a little too complicated and makes them far more palatable for players hoping for a more casual experience. Combat can often drift a little too far into the casual zone – especially with the ability to speed up battles – but the strength of its environmental design and the light-hearted nature of its quests helps this spin-off hold a lot more weight than some of the throwaway cash-ins that have graced PS Vita in recent years.

Although it’s an absolute treat to look at, the fights and some odd design choices mar the experience, so this is a bit more eggplant than pudding.

Super Neptunia RPG negates the positives that it brings about. The fresh perspective that comes from being a classic 2D RPG with a simple battle system clashes with the unintuitive and unresponsive platforming. The presentation is beautiful, but the performance is hampered when compared to its predecessors. The ability to explore also seems nice until you realize that the streamlined side-quest system has been replaced with the more time-consuming method of visiting each quest-giver individually. Fans of the series may still enjoy it.

Super Neptunia RPG is a fun little game but leaves a lot more to be desired. I could see a sequel full of potential, but at its current state with all the technical hiccups, it really boils down to you being a Neptunia fan or not. The game lacks enough polish for it to be a great game, but perhaps a sequel down in the line or even using a fresh IP without Neptunia holding it back can make room for a more interesting project.

At the end of the day, Super Neptunia RPG does quite a few things differently than other titles in the series; a few that improve the experience, a few that make it more frustrating. For those who have previously enjoyed the tales of Neptune and her crew, it’s possibly worth a try, but for those uninitiated, this won’t create any new Nep Nep fans. While I went into this game excited to try a different type of Neptunia, it hardly held my attention for more than a half-hour at a time, requiring a lot more stamina and time than it should to complete a game that clocks in well under twenty hours.

Except for the picturesque landscapes, Super Neptunia RPG is a disaster.

Super Neptunia RPG isn't very good. Play SteamWorld Quest for a decent 2D RPG, or Octopath Traveller. Just don't bother with this.