Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Satoshi_Matrix's Videos (was "Hyperdimension Neptunia")

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Key (Level 9) Satoshi_Matrix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    1,956
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    PSN
    Satoshi_Matrix

    Default Satoshi_Matrix's Videos (was "Hyperdimension Neptunia")

    I ran a search but couldn't find a thread for it, so here's one.

    Hyperdimenion Neptunia - that self aware parody series of RPGs tha has exploded on the Vita recently.

    One of the only moe games around where the whole point of it does not begin and stop with the concept of cute girls doing cute things. Despite what you might initially think, this isn't a game for girls - it's a game for gamers and anime fans. It's chock full of jokes and references to just about everything significant in the game industry since the early 80s and it's something where quality is not lost in translation. Idea Factory and Compile Heart deliver some of the best localizations ever with this series.

    For anyone wanting to learn more, I created a video review of Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 for PS Vita and Steam - the best jumping off point to get into the series at large, since it's an extensive remake of the first game that had a cool idea, but terrible execution.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3szGVwcP2t0

    I love this series. Any series that bases its main character on the cancelled Sega Neptune is a-okay with me.
    check out my classic gaming review site: http://satoshimatrix.wordpress.com/

  2. #2
    Crono (Level 14) Custom rank graphic

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    6,738
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    15
    Thanked in
    15 Posts

    Default

    Some of the dialogue is good, which usually happens to be what they chose to voice act, the rest of the games are trash.

    IF(or Iffy,) despite my not liking the company itself, is my favorite character due to her dialogue. She's actually my current PSN avatar. Yeah. Some of the worst JRPGs I've ever played and I like one of the characters so much I purchase an avatar of her.
    Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.

  3. #3
    Key (Level 9) Satoshi_Matrix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    1,956
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    PSN
    Satoshi_Matrix

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kupomogli View Post
    Some of the dialogue is good, which usually happens to be what they chose to voice act, the rest of the games are trash.

    IF(or Iffy,) despite my not liking the company itself, is my favorite character due to her dialogue. She's actually my current PSN avatar. Yeah. Some of the worst JRPGs I've ever played and I like one of the characters so much I purchase an avatar of her.
    I only agree so far as to the very first Hyperdimenion Neptunia is concerned. That game was terribly executed and as you say, "trash". The others in the series aren't. MKII was a massive step forward and Victory was about as good of a game as the genre can possibly allow for. All three Re;Birth games on Vita reexamine the PS3 works and add slight tweaks to make them better for portable play, and the spinoff games target more niche genres than the mainline RPGs. Producing Perfection was a game that I don't think the vast majority of western review outlets were at all qualified to review. If you read them, it's clear those people have no experience with idol management games, and when you add the moe and the Hyperdimenion Neptunia specific jokes, it was just something reviewers didn't get. PP is the weakest of the modern games, but it's still not "trash". Neither are the SRPG and the Dynasty Warriors-esque action game.
    check out my classic gaming review site: http://satoshimatrix.wordpress.com/

  4. #4
    Kirby (Level 13) Tanooki's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    5,964
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    I just looked this up on the wikipedia. I take it the 3 rebirth games which also got PC ports all handle this better combat engine. I had a vague interest in this way back on PS3 but saw the battle engine looked more like a somewhat active Tactical RPG type style and very clunky so I just ignored it. This rebirth style seems almost more in a way like the live open area combat like the tales of... games are known for seeing a clip of it.

  5. #5
    Crono (Level 14) Custom rank graphic

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    6,738
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    15
    Thanked in
    15 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Satoshi_Matrix View Post
    I only agree so far as to the very first Hyperdimenion Neptunia is concerned. That game was terribly executed and as you say, "trash". The others in the series aren't. MKII was a massive step forward and Victory was about as good of a game as the genre can possibly allow for. All three Re;Birth games on Vita reexamine the PS3 works and add slight tweaks to make them better for portable play, and the spinoff games target more niche genres than the mainline RPGs. Producing Perfection was a game that I don't think the vast majority of western review outlets were at all qualified to review. If you read them, it's clear those people have no experience with idol management games, and when you add the moe and the Hyperdimenion Neptunia specific jokes, it was just something reviewers didn't get. PP is the weakest of the modern games, but it's still not "trash". Neither are the SRPG and the Dynasty Warriors-esque action game.
    I've only played Mk2. I know the combat system is different than the first game and that the Rebirth games all use the combat system pulled from Mk2. The combat isn't horrible, but the game acts like you're doing some advanced sort of gameplay when they just shoehorn you into repeating the same stuff over and over. Basically, use a break combo, then use an attack combo, maybe use some skills in between, repeat, over and over. During any normal battle, it was wait the first turn so and so far away so the enemies move towards you, then move towards them so all three of your characters can strike first. It's a TRPG type combat system that uses the Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter/Arc the Lad Twilight of Spirits style of combat. The combat was the best part of the gameplay but when everything else was so much worse, an okay combat system can't salvage everything else.

    One good aspect of RPGs is exploration. All of the dungeons in the Neptunia games are small dungeons where exploration is practically non existant. It takes two seconds to move from one end of any dungeon to the other end. The dungeons aren't exactly identical, but they may as well be the same exact thing with a different background because that's exactly what they feel like. The quest system isn't much of a quest system as instead of being unique, they're all kill these types of enemies or gather these types of items, and then they'll just start repeating themselves.

    Compare the dungeons to something like Wild ARMs or Lufia 2 which the exploration in dungeons is puzzle like, similar to Zelda, giving some thought to the dungeons as well exploration, so there's a bit more depth than your average JRPG, and the dungeons to the Neptunia games are just a complete joke. Compare them to any other RPG that still uses the premise of exploration as one of its concepts, and the Neptunia games dungeons are... well... still a joke and don't add a thing to the game.

    Sorry, but unless your gameplay is going to blow my mind, then you're going to have to give me something than a mildly entertaining story at points, because despite the idea that RPGs are played for their story, they're played for a combination of things. If it was story only then I wouldn't play an RPG because I can go to any other story telling medium and get far better storylines with stuff that is considered sub par in that medium.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tanooki View Post
    I just looked this up on the wikipedia. I take it the 3 rebirth games which also got PC ports all handle this better combat engine. I had a vague interest in this way back on PS3 but saw the battle engine looked more like a somewhat active Tactical RPG type style and very clunky so I just ignored it. This rebirth style seems almost more in a way like the live open area combat like the tales of... games are known for seeing a clip of it.
    It's nothing like Tales of. The combat is like Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter or Arc the Lad Twilight of Spirits.
    Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.

  6. #6
    Key (Level 9) Satoshi_Matrix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    1,956
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    PSN
    Satoshi_Matrix

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tanooki View Post
    I just looked this up on the wikipedia. I take it the 3 rebirth games which also got PC ports all handle this better combat engine. I had a vague interest in this way back on PS3 but saw the battle engine looked more like a somewhat active Tactical RPG type style and very clunky so I just ignored it. This rebirth style seems almost more in a way like the live open area combat like the tales of... games are known for seeing a clip of it.
    You must've looked up the first Neptunia. The Re;Birth battle engines are evolutions of the one first seen in MkII on PS3, which later got refined in Victory, and then got slightly more refined for the Re;Birth games. The first battle engine in MkII is a little clunky compared to the others, but it's still a hell of a lot better than what the original had, which was VERY clunky.

    The battle system since MkII might appear to be active Tactical like the Tales games, but it's turn based. You are free to move anywhere without restrictions until you choose to either attack, defend, use an item, etc. It's only vaguely like the Tales games.


    Quote Originally Posted by kupomogli View Post
    I've only played Mk2. I know the combat system is different than the first game and that the Rebirth games all use the combat system pulled from Mk2.
    Ah. Well, MkII was the birth of this battle system. Victory greatly expanded it, and the Re;Birth series and then Victory II refine it further. What you say basically applies, but it has seen further improvements since what you know.


    Quote Originally Posted by kupomogli View Post
    One good aspect of RPGs is exploration. All of the dungeons in the Neptunia games are small dungeons where exploration is practically non existant. It takes two seconds to move from one end of any dungeon to the other end. The dungeons aren't exactly identical, but they may as well be the same exact thing with a different background because that's exactly what they feel like. The quest system isn't much of a quest system as instead of being unique, they're all kill these types of enemies or gather these types of items, and then they'll just start repeating themselves.
    This is a fair statement, but that's because the dungeons are a means to progress the story. The Neptunia series is primarily a Visual Novel with RPG elements. I dunno how much of MkII you played, but there are longer dungeons later on. But they never approch dungeons of the lengths seen in most Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest or Tales games. If they made the dungeons too large, it would be too much of a departure from the visual novel elements which is why the dungeons are more compact than other RPGs. They're not "2 seconds long", but you generally can explore an entire dungeon within a matter of minutes. The quest system is there to give meaning to the enemies and the drops, and give added incentive to grind. That's the purpose and it does it well.


    Quote Originally Posted by kupomogli View Post
    Compare the dungeons to something like Wild ARMs or Lufia 2 which the exploration in dungeons is puzzle like, similar to Zelda, giving some thought to the dungeons as well exploration, so there's a bit more depth than your average JRPG, and the dungeons to the Neptunia games are just a complete joke. Compare them to any other RPG that still uses the premise of exploration as one of its concepts, and the Neptunia games dungeons are... well... still a joke and don't add a thing to the game.
    That's because that's not what the Neptunia games are intended to be. They're visual novels with RPG elements. Like, 60/40.The RPG elements could be expanded, but that's not the aim of the games and that would in fact ruin the appeal if they became just standard RPGs. Idea Factory has other games like that. that's why nobody cares. The Hyperdimenion Neptunia series is unique in that it exists as both commentary and example of how RPGs can be different.



    Quote Originally Posted by kupomogli View Post
    Sorry, but unless your gameplay is going to blow my mind, then you're going to have to give me something than a mildly entertaining story at points, because despite the idea that RPGs are played for their story, they're played for a combination of things. If it was story only then I wouldn't play an RPG because I can go to any other story telling medium and get far better storylines with stuff that is considered sub par in that medium.
    I understand what you're saying but it completely misses the point. Like ALL visual novels, gameplay takes a backseat to the story and characters. The Neptunia series isn't about gameplay to blow your mind. It never will be. The whole concept is the self aware parody elements that tie it together. The RPG system in place is a lite RPG that can't compete against those traditional hardcore JRPGs you mentioned because that's just not the aim. It's obvious this kind of game is not for you and that's fine, but your assessment that this series isn't good because they don't do what you want them to is bogus.

    I don't enjoy the Hyperdimenion Neptunia series because I want a deep RPG. I play them because I want to immerse myself in the characters and the situations they find themselves in. The RPG portions simply are the engine that allows that to happen.
    check out my classic gaming review site: http://satoshimatrix.wordpress.com/

  7. #7
    Kirby (Level 13) Tanooki's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    5,964
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    I won't lie, you have fascinated me more. The fact the dungeons are small and not overly crawly or loaded with runs off to annoying dead ends (ie: small) is a big plus for me in a console RPG due to the lack of hours I can play around on my tv since it's shared w/my kid when she's awake. I like light exploration, but once it crosses into something more 16/earlier 32bit final fantasy in style or dragn quest where you can go off on tangents and then have to go in and backtrack out with annoying fight after fight to find like one lame chest I'm unamused...I will find a guide of some sort to avoid that crap. The game company/anime thing I can handle, sounds like it would be fairly amusing if at least unique, a retail fan fiction thrown up as an RPG. There being a quest system is neat, kind of like Phantasy Star Online where it's a short fairly linear walk to do thing to do or X enemies to kill is very nice. I'm not saying I don't like a full on RPG still as I'll mess with FF and DQ stuff still, would have with Tales of...had I not moved onto PS4 before I could get there, but having a departure of a shorter experience with less crawling but the aspects of an RPG still that I do like for the change.

    This isn't on GOG is it? It's basically PS3 discs or digital rental/drm stuff on steam right?

Similar Threads

  1. Satoshi_Matrix's Videos (was "Hyperdimension Neptunia")
    By Satoshi_Matrix in forum Modern Gaming
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 09-09-2015, 10:20 AM
  2. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11-13-2013, 01:40 PM
  3. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 05-27-2013, 06:11 PM
  4. Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-21-2013, 11:45 AM
  5. Hyperdimension Neptunia, Strange game but whered it go?
    By Niku-Sama in forum Modern Gaming
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 02-01-2013, 08:35 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •