Review: Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2
Hey, do you like things that are kawaii-uguu~ and moe, and you’d like to absolutely call every playable and non-playable character your waifu? Well, hold on to your anime pillows and put on some deodorant, because Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is here and in your face with extreme loli action that will keep you up all night salivating over these fantastic digital bishōjo.
The Gamindustri Goddesses Neptune, Vert, Noire, and Blanc pummeled the evil Arfoire into submission. But what’s this?! M. Night Shyamalan plot twist! Arfoire gained the upper hand in a post-mortem turn of events and captured the four CPUs (Console Patron Units) as well as Planeptune’s CPU Candidate and Neptune’s sister, Nepgear. Three years later in the year 20XX, IF and Compa venture into the desolate Gamindustri Graveyard to rescue the five bound-and-gagged heroines, but only manage to escape with Nepgear.
As such, and as tropes would have it, Nepgear is thrust unwillingly into the role of a leader on a quest to save the four CPUs, and with IF and Compa in tow, the adventure begins in Planeptune. Fetch quests and monster hunts litter the digital landscape of Gamindustri, now mostly overtaken by ASIC, the Arforie Syndicate of International Crime. ASIC is out to resurrect their fallen idol by stealing all the shares of the world. Also, for some reason, this is going to work somehow.
When it comes right down to it, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is like the hotter, younger sister to Hyperdimension Neptunia. And she’s way better in bed. Like, seriously. It’s hard to say that a lot of things have changed from the first Neptunia title, but everything that could’ve been considered flawed beforehand has either been done away with or tightened up.
An enhanced battle system shines most prominently, being far more action-packed than its predecessor. Akin to Eternal Sonata, players now get to free-roam within an area and execute their attacks within a designated area (depending on the equipped weapon for a lot of the characters). The ability to hit two or more enemies is not out of the question, giving you a lot more stopping power than the simple turn-based strategies available before.
Expanding the battles comes a customizable combo system, largely fleshed out here with a brand new selection of moves and more attacks than before. In addition, you’ll find an even greater selection of special moves for all characters, several being unlocked as you level your kawaii squad up or acquired through the various Events.
Up to eight characters can participate in battle now with the new Partnering system. Basically, it comes down to selecting someone to take the front line while another character provides passive support abilities. These abilities can come in the shape of reduced AP (Action Point) consumption, neutralizing status effects, increased experience, and more. You’re also available to switch out your active character with the support character should one’s HP drop too low, but you sacrifice your turn to do so.
The Partnering system is further elaborated by allowing pairs of characters who are affectionate towards one another to unlock certain special moves to be used in battle. Only specific pairs of characters will be able to use these moves, though.
Planeptune no longer acts as a hub to Leanbox, Lastation and Lowee, with the waiting time to travel to each part of Gamindustri and instead replaced by an 8-bit overworld that slowly gives you access to several dungeons and main areas as the story progresses. Dungeons and the four named areas of Planeptune, Leanbox, Lastation, and Lowee aren’t anything special, with dungeons being too similar to one another with slightly expanded areas or the four main areas being depicted by static backgrounds representing certain ideals each company holds.
Conversely, instead of anime-style character portraits, characters in cutscenes have been replaced with fully animated 3D models. An excellent change of pace, as the new models are far more animated and interactive with one another than the JRPG standard of static portraits. Problematically, it’s not very consistent and sometimes you’ll end up with the portraits rather than the models depending on the scene.
mk2‘s life isn’t in the cities, though, but in the dialogue. Another superb translation littered with hilarious quips and self-referential instances that constantly break the fourth wall. You know what? The script makes the game and I don’t care what you think. It’s funny, clever, and filled with the most desu-tastic win since Hyperdimension Neptunia came out last year. Calling the script and character interaction merely “good” is a travesty. Calling it miraculous in an industry that is severely lacking in that sort of clever attitude would be more accurate.
I could go on and on about how fantastic the writing is for the game, but there is a ton of source material to work with and all of it, when you give it a thought, is hilarious in that meta sort of way. The industry has sort of become a joke, so embodying the rivalries, failures, and more, shoving them on a tiny disc, and giving them goth loli, tsundere, and moe visages is inherently tickling.
All in all, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is something of an “average” JRPG when it comes to how it actually plays, but more than makes up for its stale nature by being one of the funniest titles available. Accompanied by tried-and-true mechanics and doing away with a lot of the things that made the original title a bit too adventurous, mk2 isn’t something to be overlooked if you love the genre, quirky titles, or simply found something to enjoy about Hyperdimension Neptunia.
Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is currently available from Amazon for PlayStation 3 at the price point of $49.99. For more information on how we review games, check out our criteria here. A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. If you have any questions about this title feel free to ask in the comment section. Our reviewer will be able to answer any of those.