Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed (PlayStation Vita)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): May 19, 2015
- Release Date (EU): May 22, 2015
- Release Date (JP): August 28, 2014
- Publisher: Compile Hearts/Idea Factory International
- Developer: Tamsoft
- Genres: Action RPG/Hack 'n Slash
Game Features:
Review Approach:
Welcome to Gamindustri! There's nothing going on.
Hyperdimension Neptunia: Action Unleashed U takes you on a trip across Gamindustri - a world where video games are the bread and butter of everyday life and the populace of the four lands, Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee and Leanbox, is ruled by their respective CPU's - Neptune, Noire, Blanc and Vert. After many years of strife due to constant invasions by monsters it would seem that the CPU's have finally succeeded - times are peaceful in Gamindustri at long last. So peaceful in fact, that it's boring - it's boring to the citizens, it's boring to the CPU's, but most importantly, it's boring to you - the player.
That's how it works, yes.
Normally I preface my reviews with a brief but climactic introduction to the plot - here I have to admit that I'm struggling because there's very little to introduce. The premise of the game is very simple - there is literally nothing going on, all is well, and that's not very entertaining. Even the characters themselves are quick to point out that something has to be done before Gamindustri turns into a bore. Enter Dengekiko and Famitsu, personifications of Japanese gaming magazines, with a plan ready to hatch - pit the CPU's against hordes of monsters! That should keep readers interested! Here's for hoping it will keep players interested, too.
Action RPG with a Big Focus on Action
Action Unleashed U takes you to a number of colourful locales populated by iconic gaming baddies, from Slimes to towering Mechs.
The two journalists quickly come to the conclusion that the only thing that can spice things up in Gamindustri is a healthy dose of action. With CPU's and their siblings on-board they embark on quest after quest in order to gather material for an article of a lifetime. If action is what the readers want, it's action they're going to get - a whole lot of it.
The game is structured around a set of Quests rather than open-world exploration
Action Unleashed U is mission-based - every now and then Famitsu and Dengekiko will refresh the list of Quests available for you to pick. You can embark on those quests solo or in teams of two - teamwork is encouraged as it strengthens the friendship between the characters expressed by their Lily Rank, allowing them to deal more damage when they fight together. The game offers a generous roster of 10 characters, each with their own moves and weapons. The characters can also be additionally customized with additional gear or special attacks - some can be found as quest rewards, some are given to you in special events and then some can be bought with medals from fallen enemies - typical RPG stuff.
Godly Gamer, that's who I am! Finally a game that acknowledges my greatness!
The combat in this game is solid and very enjoyable - the game is fast-paced and happily throws mobs of monsters for you to slaughter. The controls are simple - you have to mix and match normal and heavy attacks into longer, more destructive combos. In addition to standard moves the characters also have access to special attacks which can be unleashed provided you have enough energy which is replenishable by drinking energy drinks which occasionally drop out of fallen enemies. Each character has a total of three special attack slots to which you can assign your selected specials, as well as a Transformation which turns the character into its powerful HDD form and a team attack unlockable later into the game. Unfortunately, the monster AI leaves a lot to be desired - their strength is clearly in numbers, not smarts, which is a bit of a shame. It will take several quests before the enemies will become capable of putting up any form of resistance against you.
The press will pick up on your performance, whether it's good or bad performance... so try to do your best!
The quests are interspliced with the daily happenings of Gamindustri, including interactions between the characters and press reports regarding their performance. These reports give you access to new outfits, but more on that below. The better you do in-game and the more friendly the characters are to each other the more you'll get to learn about them through cutscenes, so the goal is very simple - manage your teams balancing Lily Rankings and performance to get the best of both worlds and unlock as much character banter as possible.
Praise the Sun! Teamwork in Action Unleashed U is rewarded with special Events for you to watch - be sure to select them while you can, as some of them are timed!
There's another aspect of this game intrinsically connected with combat and I figured that it's prevelent enough to deserve its own section. That aspect is... Fanservice.
Hello, this is Fanservice Central, how can we help you?
Whoopsie! I've done goofed... And got a trophy for it, I guess.
I think it's safe to say that Japan is the birthplace of implementing fetishism into video games. Jiggly breast physics? Made in Japan. Skimply clad female characters? Made in Japan. Chainmail Bikinis? Made in Japan. I don't want to seem like a prude - I understand that sex sells and I'm totally fine with that, there's clearly a market for this kind of games, but that fact gives me little comfort. The latest trend in the long history of innovation in digital titillation is tearable clothing - think Senran Kagura as an example. There's something exciting about clothes getting ripped in the heat of combat, as cringeworthy as it can be at times. It didn't take long for me to bump into this "feature" in Action Unleashed. Hyperdimension Neptunia as a series is satirical in nature and initially I figured that perhaps the developers decided to take a swipe at the trend with some righteous parody. Little did I know that Compile Hearts got in touch with Tamsoft of Senran Kagura fame and asked them specifically to make this game. The result? A gratuitous amount of fan service.
Hubba hubba... just some of the choice shots you'll get to see in Action Unleashed.
Tearable clothing is not a small portion of the overall package here - it's clearly in focus and the game shows no signs of shame in introducing it as an integral mechanic of the game. Every heavy attack you deal and every hit you take gradually damages the outfits of your characters until they disintegrate in the flashiest way possible. You would think that this is a debilitating effect - less clothing equals less protection, right? You couldn't be further from the truth - it is in fact desirable as it recharges your HDD bar immediately, allowing your character to transform on the spot rather than painstakingly refill the bar with effective attacks. Of course you can opt out - non-destructible outfits can be earned from the journalists provided your performance in-game is good enough... but even with those in mind, Action Unleashed is not a game Little Timmy should play on the bus.
Conclusion Unleashed!
Journalistic Integrity as portrayed by Action Unleashed - stage some fights with monsters in hopes that we'll stumble into a plot somewhere down the line
Hyperdimension Neptunia: Action Unleashed had me stumped in terms of how to grade it fairly. On one hand, the game looks gorgeous, the combat is fluid, quite spectacular and overall the game is quite enjoyable. On the other, the game is lacking in an involving story, it's criminally short and it's a glimpse into the world of Japanese-style fetishism. There's a stark contrast between how the game is designed and who the target audience is - on the exterior it's cutesy with all shades of pink and purple, but once you chomp into the meat of it it's shots of panties left and right. I guess it's to be expected from a game designed to inject Moe directly into the player's eyeballs, but knowing that gave me no solace.
With that in mind, I have to split my score. If you're a fan of this sort of games, you don't mind a lack of overarching story and prefer to observe interactions between characters in numerous long-winded chit-chat scenes, this game is exactly what you're looking for and probably a 7 or even an 8 out of 10. Unfortunately, I'm not that kind of gamer. In my eyes, the storyline was lacking and the fact that I practically had to reach the half-way point of the game before things really got going is a testament to that. I wanted more RPG from this Action RPG and the explosive clothing, as much as it was entertaining, was not enough to keep me entertained on this ride, so to me it's a 6.5. That's not to say that the game's not enjoyable - it's a bumpy rollercoaster ride, but it's a rollercoaster still. The trademark Hyperdimension Neptunia humour and a wealth of video game references are still there full force and they'll bring a smile to your face. I guess my recommendation is to curb your expectations when getting into this game as we all wait for the next fully-fledged installment in the series - treat Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed as a fun, action-packed appetizer while the main course is still in the oven.
Verdict
- Excellent fighting mechanics
- Great audio-visual presentation and smooth performance
- A cast of colourful, likable characters
- Two additional modes unlocked post-game give the title some extra longevity
- The game features both an English and a Japanese dub
- Poor story
- Gratuitous amounts of fan service - could kill the lesser man
- Very short campaign
