Hyperdimension Neptunia MK2

Fun story and a great new combat system. A really big improvement over first part. The only reason to not buy is having an allergy on anything anime-like.

The first Hyperdimension Neptunia game left me rather disappointed. Some clever ideas and humor were critically undermined by clunky and annoying combat and ugly graphics outside of the anime styled scenes, not to mention a little too frequent use of creepy sexual innuendos and imagery. However, I obviously thought it had SOME potential otherwise I wouldn't have bothered giving the second game a chance and I was pleasantly surprised. Mk2 makes major improvements in it's combat and healing mechanics. The combat no longer felt clunky and unresponsive, combos flowed much more smoothly without unnecessary pauses in-between strikes and the ability to actually move your characters around the battlefield adds a layer of strategy concerning where to position your party members to avoid damage or flank an enemy. The old healing system that copped so much flak in the first game has been completely scrapped in favor of a more traditional system that removes the frustration of the last game, returning control of healing their party to the player. The graphics are much improved although still not great compared to the original however the dungeon design is still underwhelming. Overall Mk2 is a much improved experience when compared to the first game although the sexual elements will still be too much for some to look past despite the improved overall product. If you're a fan of anime or JRPG's and can look past the overactive sexualisation of the young cast of characters and the sometimes cringe worthy sexual innuendo they often come out with then Mk2 is definitely worth a shot for it's much improved combat mechanics and smoother game play overall. + Clever game industry parody humor + Much improved combat mechanics and smoother combat animations + Traditional healing system replaces the percentage based auto-healing of the first game + Improved graphics outside of cut scenes - Still has rather uninspired dungeon design - The sexualisation of the characters and dialogue of the first game is still here and will alone be enough to put some players off despite the other improvements

There are some minor improvements between the OG and MK2, but the performance issues do hold it back from recommending it to people looking for a hardcore RPG to recommend. It does also have some boss fights you are intended to lose by design, though it's ambiguous on your first playthrough. If you want to see Neptunia's roots, the original PS3 games are a good starting point. However, the Vita ports are the definite way to experience the series.

Hyperdimension Neptunia isn't a particularly good game by any standards. Within the first few moments of playing you'll begin questioning the developers design choices. It's hard to describe, but everything about the UI just feels off. It feels clunky and unintuitive, actively denying you the information you so desperately want. The graphics aren't very pretty in themselves. The 2D sprites look okay, but the 3D models are lifeless and awkward to look at. The soundtrack might be one of the few redeeming features about the game, but you'll find it grating on you as you repeat the same areas again and again. The main issue is the gameplay, however. Information about it is poorly conveyed through slides that don't really tell you much of anything, leaving you to flounder around as you try to figure out what you're doing wrong. You'd better get on your knees and pray to RNGesus, because half your attacks will just flat out miss if you don't. Which is another thing: the difficulty is all over the place. Chances are you'll be spending a significant amount of time grinding. On most encounters you'll strike first and the battle will be a breeze. In other cases you'll be wiped before you can even question what happened. (So you can reload your save and do more grinding again. Yay.) So, in summary, combat is something you'll want to actively avoid, but you'll have to spend all of your time in if you want to do anything. The story...barely exists. I've yet to see any of purported wit and satire this game has. So far it's been a bevy of typical anime tropes. And, no, commenting that something exists and replicating it isn't satire. I entered Hyperdimension Neptunia curious, and left it confused. In my brief time, I saw nothing of merit - rather a substandard game that could only be enjoyed by the most hardcore of fans. You'll have to try really hard to find any fun here, all you'll find is a clunky, boring experience that leaves you worse off than when you began playing.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]