[Hyperdimension Neptunia]

[It's been a hard few years for hardcore fans of turn based JRPGs, but it seems as if a new tomorrow is on the horizon. There are a few new JRPGs out, and a few more coming, and I am getting back to what i do best - kicking some JRPG ass. Today's agenda is Hyperdimension Neptunia, a game by - you guessed it - Nippon Ichi. Let's get to it shall we?]

[Hyperdimension Neptunia is...well, it's definitely different. Marking Nippon Ichi's first venture into an HD turn based JRPG, this game follows the silly adventure of Neptune and her close friends in a story that is symbolic of the video game industry and, more specifically, the console wars. Lowee, Leanbox and Lastation are planets on the game that are named after obvious systems. The characters are even modeled, some at least, after video game consoles. I found the Wii chick to be particularly funny, as she is often called flat breasted and is often cussing at people angrily. This is the story people. Do not expect anything grand here]

[There are a few things you need to know about this game. For starters, the battle system is pretty good. There are complaints that the fights take too long, but once you get comfortable with the system, this is not true at all. The attack and battle effects are long winded, but are all skip-able, something virtually unheard of in JRPGs. So, once you are comfortable with the system, you can mash the skip button and presto! 10 second fights! That's not too bad is it?]

[There's more though, and sadly, most of it is not good news. This is a game with solid core gameplay. Your dungeon exploration and fighting is pretty fun. However...it gets old. And the reason it gets old is this is a game that is missing ALL of the bells and whistles. There is absolutely no sidequesting in this game, unless you think that optional dungeons count. What you do in this game is listen to/read dialogue, buy new shit whenever you feel it, and then hit the next dungeon. I have sank at least 30 hours into this non-stop dungeon exploring game, and I have still not reached 50 percent dungeon completion]

[Now, before you think I am using hyperboles, I want this to be perfectly clear; there is absolutely no walking around unless you are in a dungeon! Inside of a dungeon, there are no shops. There are no save points [you can save at any time within your game menu] and all you have to do is fight, fight, fight. Outside of dungeons you can partake in certain events, which is nothing more than dialogue. Beyond that, you can buy things from a store which is on a list, and you cannot sell items. No, seriously. Also, for some reason, you cannot save your game when outside of dungeons. You can exit just about any dungeon you like if you go back to the entrance, but it's still the point]

[What I have just described is everything to this game. I am not stretching truth here. This is why the battles and dungeon exploration become less and less fun as time goes on - there's just nothing else to this game to distract you when you start to get bored of the dungeons. This hurts the game's playability very harshly]

[In closing, I need to say a few things about this game. It's got a great battle system that can be customized like no other I've ever seen. You can name your own combos, tweak the combos, and even use a picture from your PS3's Hard drive for certain special move animations. Second, I want to say that I have NOT beaten this game yet, so a few things may or may not change for me, in the way of opinions. However, I have talked to someone who HAS beaten this game, and many of the things I dislike do not change, according to him. I will post my post game thoughts here after I have beaten the game, but so far, this is a game that has a lot going for it, but is missing far too much to be a great JRPG. Nippon Ichi is supposedly working on a sequel. I hope they beef it up, because it could be a very fun game. Nippon Ichi's greatest achievement to date has been the Disgaea series, a turn based strategy JRPG that revolves around extreme repetition and level grinding. Even though it is based around monotonous things, it WORKS. It works for Disgaea. But Nippon Ichi's biggest mistake is thinking that what works for Disgaea will work for other games, and that is not the case. Nippon Ichi, please let go of your repetative gameplay mechanics, and start learning from the greats, like Mistwalker and Squaresoft. Hell, even Square Enix sometimes puts out something good. Learn from them. If you can do this, your next game might be a masterpiece. That is all everyone. Game on] -AT9-

Hyperdimension Neptunia
Overall Score - 6