Hyperdimension games have gone from a no name brand, to quite a large following of late, mostly due to its very anime style RPG antics, but also a style that a lot of gamers seem to enjoy, plus lots of fan service, which Iβm sure helped certain gamers enjoy it even more. Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls however is a different take on the series, taking a non cannon approach to the series, it brings a different aspect of the game, but also brings much that was enjoyed from previous games.
Sega Hard girls? A similar idea, but with personifications of Sega hardware and mascots, not anything to sing home about, but this may be an attempt to boost its popularity over in eastern markets.
Story wise, its massive collection of tropes and overused ideas, we have amnesia, we have ditsy girls, we have macho macho men, and bringing them all together to create a story that feels like it was very rushed together.
Oh we also have time travel, the most key aspect.
So Historie is disappearing due to mysterious problems, so the girls go back in time to try and prevent this from happening. Along the way you meet more characterβs, find a lot of cutesy enemies to attack. This is not a story that will grip you from start to finish, it is merely a mild curiosity pushing you along as you complete the game.
To be clear, this is not a game for its story, it is a game for people who love grinding in an RPG to get the most powerful character possible, the story here is interesting and I enjoyed it more than previous games, the fact that the company clearly had more fun with this title than previous games shows.
However it is not for everyone, and if you do want a semi serious title, you may be disappointed.
The controls in these games have always bugged me, it feels very tank like controls when running around the over world, it feels like youβre not really on that world, like your character Is moving a little too fast for the animation that is being shown. It just feels floaty and has always bothered me. However, if you have played any of the previous games you will be right at home here, run around, smack enemies, and gain XP.
On the over world you have enemies walking freely and its your choice to attack them or run off away from them, getting sneak attacks to deal more damage. You can find items on the over world, to help your quest, but also save points.
However the biggest part of the over world is thatβ¦jumping noise, please, please never use this jumping noise again, honestly the most annoying thing Iβve experienced and really dreaded jumping sections anywhere in the game.
Graphically just like all the other Hyperdimension games, there isnβt really much to look at, most games always seem to be a generation behind in graphics and this is no different. Everything is very stylised and looks neat. All the characterβs very anime-ish with all the enemies also sharing that same style. However, the games always look very low quality to me, textures are blurry and if you are on a level with grass or dirt, it all looks like a dirty mess, due to low resolution textures. It does make the characterβs stand out more, but Iβm not sure if thatβs the way the developers wanted them to stand out. The game overall feels veryβ¦PS2 era, and I sometimes wouldnβt put it past the game to be a PS2 title graphically. Though the attacks do look nice, I have to give it that, always very over the top, with them all being very satisfying to use when destroying enemies.
Thoughβ¦the frame rate problems that have plagued older titles is back, which is a massive shame, it feels like the game usually runs around 30fps, but then takes massive dips down to around 20 when more than one other character is on screen, very jarring.
Overall the game is a grindy RPG, with a very obvious story that does not really do much for the game, though this can be said for all previous titles, nothing really that stands out story wise. However if you enjoy that style of gameplay this is a game you can really enjoy, with lots to keep you going in every aspect of the game, from levelling characterβs to unlocking bonus areas, itβs a perfect game for people with those tendencies. Yes the game looks dated even though its brand new, and the story is full of overused tropes from many animeβs, but it has a niche style that works well, and has found its fans in many areas of gaming. A solid RPG, and a the very definition of JRPG overall, 8/10.
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