Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2 Sisters Generation Review
Where to start with a review like this? The game’s title is long and is part of the Hyperdimesion Neptunia series which serves to personify Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo into anime. The game was originally released on the Vita but was ported to the PC. Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2 Sisters Generation is an interesting JPRG that pokes fun at the game industry as whole.
The premise of the game is this, Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime or ASIC, have taken control over the land of Gameindustri. It is up to IF and Compa, who have freed Neptune, and they need to help her regain her powers and free the people of Gameindustri. Along the way, gamers will meet interesting characters, battle with odd monsters, and deal with the endless jokes poking fun at the game industry.
The game is very dialogue heavy, which should be expected from a JPRG. As a fan of Western RPGS, I struggled with this and had a hard time following the story sometimes. This doesn't mean the story wasn’t enjoyable, it was just confusing sometimes. The combat keeps the game entertaining. In fact, as someone who hasn’t played a Japanese RPG in a long time, I did enjoy this aspect. The characters have basic attacks that take action points, magic attacks that use skill points and later in the game there are EXE and CPU abilities. There are plenty of options for combat and this part of the game moves quickly. Gamers will find themselves eager to take on enemies with the large amount of combat options.
I noticed gamers can collect weapons, outfits, and materials. All of these will help players customize the characters and gain abilities. I heard there were 9 different endings; this should keep gamers entertained. I enjoyed the music in the game, although the other sound effects and accompanying dialogue got on my nerves. The graphics looked well done for a port. I had no issues with screen tearing or frame rate as other reviewers reported. The cutscenes looked fine, although I had heard they were the same resolution as the Vita game. There are several options for controls including the keyboard which worked great. I would recommend using a wired 360 controller.
Can I recommend the game? Well, the price on Steam is right with the summer sale and interested parties can pick up the game for around $15.00, normally it's $30. If gamers enjoyed the other games in the series, they should play this or if they are a hardcore fan of JRPGS. For those gamers looking for a unique RPG, this game has its moments, but you might be better off with something else.
Score 4 out of 5
Thanks to Idea Factory International for providing a code for review.