Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed

Like so many other "problematic" games before it — both in the genre and beyond it — Hyperdimension Neptunia U shows that it's possible to turn a blind eye to certain issues when everything else is just so much fun.

Hyperdimension Neptunia U is a superb tie-in, a saucy parody and most importantly a satisfying handheld brawler in its own right.

We've enjoyed this spin-off more than some of its main episodes. It's action-based, so those looking for an RPG will be disappointed, but we think it deserves a try.

This JRPG franchise evolves to offer an active gameplay system that put's it nearer to the hack'n slash genre, but with that change, also loses some of the key characteristic on the series.

It's an interesting spin off for true fans of the saga, but everyone else won't be involved enough in the lore to get what's going on.

In the end, Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed is a decent button-masher built around the polarizing Neptunia brand, with an overabundance of pointless banter that even the most hardcore fans may grow weary of.

Existing fans of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series may feel a bit like lab rats being consistently subjected to different genres while the next main RPG is in the works. It would be acceptable if every game were a masterwork of its respective genre, but of course that isn’t the case here.

I find this game fun, but it really is VERY similar to senran kengan. Which I like also, so I liked this game. Not very original, but fun to play....will tide me over until rebirth 3.

For a first foray into action RPG's, Action Unleashed is sold, but flawed. Story is very generic, though people don't really play Neptunia for the story. Combat is solid, though occasionally clunky against mobs of enemies, or bosses. Tag Team battles where you can swap between characters is fun. It is fairly challenging, but fun to play.

Pros: Characters Writing Cloths breaking mechanic Cons: Gameplay is extremely repetitive Uni is way overpowered compared to everyone else You are pretty much forced to replay missions to level up your characters

I found this to be among one of the worst games in the series followed closely by Hyperdevotion Noire and PP. If you want a quality hack n slash Neptunia game then get Blanc and Neptune Vs Zombies instead of this complete garbage. The game forces you to watch your characters and their clothes get torn to shreds thanks to a terrible and laggy battle system. It all gets old quick really to the point that I only enjoyed the first minute starting into the actual gameplay. Blanc and Neptune Vs Zombies was far more balanced, action packed, and enjoyable overall. Don't waste your money on this one when there are better titles in the series, this one just ruined my faith in the series until Blanc and Neptune VS Zombies was released.

So, another spin-off in the series, another okay-ish game that is let down in several key areas. If you're not a fan of musou- or senran-style games, just stop reading here and leave, because that's what this game is. If you're a regular Hyperdimension fan that is more interested in the characters than the actual gameplay, this might not be for you either, because rather than a story, the focus is on grinding the characters and achieving goals. Gameplay is fairly competent, standard stuff, but there's very little variety in the available moves which means it can get boring quickly. This could be countered if the levels went by faster, so you didn't notice how much of the same thing you're doing, but the enemies are just a little bit too healthy. On the plus side, goddess mode has a sense of power to it that makes it the highlight of a battle. Sound effects for the attacks really lacked "oomph", they didn't give an attack the weight or satisfaction of a swing at all - more of a little 'ding' than the crashing and cutting sounds one would expect from a game in this genre. Character interactions are decent enough, but there isn't a whole lot of emphasis on them. There are cute scenes scattered around, but there was nothing to compare to Re;Birth 1's pudding scene, or Re;Birth 2's upside-down bikini scene. Dialogue is off; Neptune still sounds like she's from a different planet, completely different to the Re;Birth 1 character I loved. The soundtrack is mostly recycled from previous games, so naturally the response to this will differ based on what you thought of the previous games' soundtracks. Personally, I found the battle music (which was from Re;Birth 1, although I wouldn't be surprised if that was taken from even earlier entries) to be really grating after a while. Overall, this game receives a "NO" from me. It was fun for the first 10 hours or so, and if that's worth $60 to you, then go for it, but I ended up wishing I had saved my money.