Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (PSN)

If cutesy anime girls with oddly perverse dialogue oriented scripts are your forte then "Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory" might just be the RPG experience you've been longing for. This latest chapter of the ongoing saga featuring the goddess-like CPUs brings to the table yet another otherworldy dilemma set in the fictitious lands of the GameIndustri. Neppy (Neptune), and all her kawaii little girly pals get lost in their lazy daily activities while paying no attention to the duties they should be tending to. In the heat of the moment Neppy parts ways from her GameIndustri CPU friends only to be spirited away to another dimension where the GameIndustri is less evolved than the one she came from. With the Seven Sages up to their usual antics it is once again up to Neppy, and her old friends as well as her newly found friends to set things right and thwart a plot to rid the GameIndustri of the CPU's authority.

Those of you who are new to the series need not worry, as this latest installment of the Neptunia saga covers all the past happenings as well as the current plot, and it's gameplay material. The CPUs, or goddesses as they are referred to return in their full glory to once again represent the the real-life, and fictional gaming consoles of past generations. Neptune (SEGA/Planeptune), Nepgear (SEGA), Noire (Playstation/Lastation), Blanc (Wii/...), and all their familiar friends make a bold entrance as they fight the GameIndustri's latest threat. There's plenty of nickname calling, over-the-top humor, and a perversity to be found amidst the well-crafted collection of anime inspired imagery, and dialogue heavy conversations.

This time around Neptune takes on the lead role as the game's main protagonist. Her story starts off on an extremely lighthearted note with the usual bickering, and playfulness between her, Nepgear, and a host of other GameIndustri CPUs. As they try to gain the motivation needed to do their jobs the group of friends part ways waiting to see if the others will abide by Histoire's (The Game Industri's Oracle) stern lecture. Their laziness has gotten out of hand, and there's definitely stuff that needs doing within each of the CPU's districts. Being the stand up gals that they are though both Neppy, and her sister Nepgear head out to fulfill their obligations, and set an example for the other CPUs. After a brief parting of ways a little later on Neppy (Neptune) finds herself mixed up with an odd older aged female character who indirectly sends her spiraling head first into a completely different dimension. It is this run-in that escalates into the intertwining plot of the two GameIndustri realms, and their fight against the one threat that could end the gaming industry as they know it.

When it comes to the gameplay in "Hyper Dimension Neptunia" you'll find that not much time will be spent battling against monsters, or other in-game characters. In fact 90% of the game is about dialogue based interactions, and only 10% about RPG mechanics. In an interesting sort of way the gameplay included is oddly reminiscent of retro SEGA arcade games like that of the Dreamcast, and Nintendo Gamecube era. Seeing as Neptune is the main protagonist this makes perfect sense though. As far as the dialogue goes it is well scripted with complimentary artistic representations of the CPU characters that each give hints of their emotions through facial expressions, and well spoken voice-overs. There's not a dull moment to be found regardless of the sparsely scattered bits of gameplay.

The combat portion of the experience which acts as a way to progress the story involves mild 3D platforming elements with random yet not so random creature encounters. As you travel from entry to exit in each of the 3D constructed GameIndustri locales your CPUs will happen upon visually depicted images of random battles. In other words you'll see creatures walking about aimlessly along the path. Should you run into one, hit one with your weapon, or get hit first your current party of CPUs will be drawn into a turn based RPG battle. The battle itself takes place within a ring that is not unlike one that a Sumo wrestler would use. You can move your CPUs freely within the ring, and attack your enemies once they are within range of your attack cursor, and within the surrounding circle. Your attacks which come in a select variety (Rapid, Power, Break, EXE, EXE Finisher, SP) will allow you to deal numerical damage, and combos to your onscreen adversaries. By eliminating all the enemies onscreen you will be awarded with a stat screen (Max Combo, Max Damage ...) that features a compilation of feats including a level boost, and possibly items depending on your performance.

As with any RPG you will be able to equip your CPU Goddesses with various types of equipment (processor, weapon, bracelets, ...) in order to help against the many formidable threats found throughout the game. It's always best to keep your CPUs' equipment updated, and the only way to do so is to buy the items at the current GameIndustri's district using the in-game credits you earn from battle, and quest completion. While currency is easily obtained through battle your main source of income will come from the battle oriented quests that you take on from the local Guilds. Each district within the GameIndustri, whether it be Lastation, Planeptune, or whatever contains a Guild where quests can be accepted, and reported to. It is this Guild that in turn will also forward the game's plot. By defeating the proper creatures, and collecting the proper materials you'll be able to complete the different types of quests (Repeat, One Time ..) as you go.

Aside from equipment, and attack options you'll find that the CPUs can also transform into more voluptuous beings which can deal a heck of a lot more damage as well as perform special attacks of their own. Using this transformation option simply requires enough SP meter. Should you have enough all you have to do is press "R2" on your control pad, and Ta-da! It's Super Sexy Goddess Time!!! While I wouldn't recommend wasting this wondrous power on weakling enemies it's a good way to deal with the tougher foes in the game. You'll find that aside from the screen filling bosses there are also threats within the standard levels which range from difficult to tough in strength. Choosing which to confront, and which to avoid is a must if you hope to make it far.

This brings me to another point. While traversing the GameIndustri locales you can choose to engage in a battle with onscreen enemies, or dodge them by sneaking/running past them. The map which shows the enemies as symbols will let you know whether or not it's a fight you want to get yourself into. In that way passing the stronger enemies by will definitely an easier task if you pay attention to the game's mini-map. The same goes for landing a preemptive strike. While you can preemptively strike (Symbol Attack) your onscreen foes with a well placed weapon strike (X) the enemies will also be seeking you out as you walk by, and will try to gain their own advantage in the battle. Moving about in the spacious environments is easy to do, but you can still get caught if you are not careful.

As you continue your playthrough you will encounter each GameIndustri locale (Lastation, LeanBox, Planeptune ...) take on the foes within, and visit the community districts where you'll read tons of dialogue in order to forward the story at hand. Each land in the GameIndustri houses various buildings such as a shop where items can be bought, a Basilicom (The CPU's home base) in which events take place, and a Guild where quests can be taken on. You will need to visit each destination often in order to level up your party members, equip them with the best equipment, and playthrough the dialogue enriched conversations that take place therein. There's definitely plenty of stuff to do in "Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory", it's just that most of it is not entirely interactive.

About the graphics ...

Graphics are king in this all out girly girl romp. You'll find plenty of eye candy amidst the CPU images as well as some naughty pics that would make a pervy guy gamer feel dirty. The semi-flat character representations come to life as their faces show various signs of emotion, and movement within the confines of a commentary filled screen. With complimentary voices speaking on their behalf you'll find yourself lost in the naughty bliss that the female CPUs share with their onscreen audience. The kawaii, and sexy characters included in this comical tale definitely fulfill their role as a proper representation of the anime, and RPG genres that they reside in. Interesting touches such as the 2D video game characters that hang around in each of the GameIndustri districts also adds a nostalgic factor which further accents the game's underlying, and suggestive plot.

As far as the actual gameplay goes it's nice to look at, and is definitely anime inspired. The CPU characters move stiffly, but perform nicely for the actions that are required of them. Some of the special attacks such as that involving the transformed CPUs make for an awesome damage dealing display. Even the lesser SP attacks offer that more epic feel that the game would be missing otherwise. The only downside to it all is that enemies are often times simple in design, and make for some rather mundane battles. Only the boss encounters, and stronger enemy encounters act as a means of proper RPG engagement.

Now on to the verdict ...

As an avid RPG gamer I went into this game expecting a lot, and came out realizing that it was about less. As I mentioned earlier on the game is 90% dialogue, and 10% RPG gameplay. That's not exactly a terrible thing, but it does act as a sort of letdown. Those looking for an experience like that of Final Fantasy, or Disgaea will not find that here. The experience is more of a repetitive one when it comes to RPG action, and more of an engaging one when it comes to character based interactions. With that being said the game does look gorgeous, and does have some rather funny moments that were even laughable to me. Those pervy Loli fans will likely get a kick out of seeing Neppy, and the gang get into deeply involved conversations with one another. There's even a semi-nude shower scene thrown in for good measure. For those of you soundtrack, art, and video enthusiasts out there you'll be glad to know that you can revisit those features within the Basilicoms of each GameIndustri locale. There's plenty of anime inspired music to unlock, and listen to as well as plenty of video clips and in-game artwork to view. It is definitely one of the game's stronger points.

How does one weigh the offerings of such a unique RPG experience? I'm gonna go out on a limb, and say this game is pretty darn good for what it is. Idea Factory (the developer) definitely went out of their way to make an RPG experience like no other, and in that sense I think they succeeded. As far as a suitable audience goes though I think this is more for the anime lovers out there, and less for diehard RPG fans. If you like your anime sprinkled with a little RPG goodness then you'll no doubt love this game, and this series. If you have a soft spot for depraved Loli action you'll likely also enjoy it. Idea Factory spares no sexual innuendo in this game, and you'll find this fact extremely obvious once you begin playing. The fact that it is about a fictitious re-imagining of the real world gaming industry is just icing on the cake.