Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 (PS Vita) Review

As a Japanese RPG, HyperDimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 already contains a strong number of elements that fans of the genre will enjoy. Turn-based battles, levelling-up and getting stronger from Experience Points, exploring new places, and fighting tough monsters, and so on…but the one thing that simply must be seen for any devout follower of the games industry is the game's storyline that actually takes central inspiration from said industry.
HyperDimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 follows the story of Neptune, an amnesiac girl that discovers she is one of the four goddesses that preside over the world of Gamindustri, split into the four lands known as Planeptune, Lostation, Leanbox, and Lowee. In her travels to recover her memories, Neptune meets new friends, discovers a wider threat to the world, and sets out to make peace with the other goddesses. This story mimics the sales and recognition battle between the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii, with a hypothetical seventh-generation SEGA console to represent Planeptune. As the game takes inspiration from real life events, so do the characters with an untold number of quirks and quotes that break the fourth wall and speak to the player; often with light humour and clever touches.

The story is told primarily through visual character portraits, subtly animated to appear more alive but still static in placement. Fan service is alive and well in this one; rarely going to the lengths of other notable Vita titles but showing more than enough to raise an eyebrow, with the attire of each goddess making for quite the spectacle, and the notable lack of any male party members whatsoever. The text size used in-game can be a tad too small at times, but thankfully the OLED of the Vita screen makes it readable. Voice acting complements this narrative; particularly well done for the main character and her core supporting cast, not so well done for the vocals of Lostation's Goddess, however.

Getting from A-to-B in HyperDimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 involves an overhead view of the world map and the scrollable list of available destinations, including the central cities of each region that act as shopping hubs. From this map, the player can use collectables found in the places already visited to create 'plans' that open up new areas, create new items and weapons, and unlock cheat-like functions that make the game easier or harder depending on personal preference. This feature, not found in the original version, adds considerable replay initiative and content to Re;Birth1, whilst still keeping it portable-friendly. It wouldn't be a stretch to hop into the game for a minute or two just to complete a plan or search a dungeon for materials, for example.

This open-ended approach to accessing new dungeons and areas does, however, make light of one of the game's most considerable problems. Although the main story dungeons still open one after another, and are all indicated for the player's visit when needed, there is no difficulty indicator of the fights within each one. This stretches to every single dungeon, and only upon entering one and getting into a fight will the player know for sure if it can be won at the current level. Such an oversight leads to lots of frustrating deaths and restarts, given that the only way to save is either on the world map or at save stations usually only found in the story-driven dungeons. Not to mention that nearly every dungeon has a plan that can add stronger enemies for more experience and rarer items; again, no indicator of how strong these foes would be. Considering that a later coliseum feature in the game that allows for battling strong enemies for prizes does actually have a level recommendation attached to each group of foes, then such an omission for the rest of the game is a massive oversight from the developer.

The dungeons themselves are also a mixed bag. Most follow a select theme, usually reflecting the region they are in - like a snowy wasteland for Lowee or industrial complexes for Lostation. A good number of them, those made by plans being the likeliest, are rehashes of older dungeons, with select paths slightly moved or swapped around. Granted, there is a high number of dungeons overall, making for a vast amount of possible scavenging, but the reused layouts make the feeling of repetition kick in pretty quickly.

In a sense, so does the battle system, although there is a vast degree more complexity and customisation. Using a selected team of three (even minus the main character, should the player so desire), turn-based battles take place in a full 3D-roaming space, initiated by touching or striking visible enemies in the dungeons. As well as regular abilities that consume magic points, each fighter has pre-selected attack combos mapped to the four face buttons, allowing the player to prioritise hit chains, powerful strikes, or knockbacks. Then there's the EXE Drive that, when filled from attack chains and sustaining damage, allows the characters to execute a final strike at the end of their combo, and grants them a one-off ability that drains the meter. Deceptively simple in description, this system allows for a fair amount of strategy in fighter placement, turn order and boosting the meter for stronger attacks. Fighting is what the player will do the most of in the field, but thanks to a speedy interface and varying attack combos, it rarely becomes a hassle.

HyperDimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 is not a game that can be sped through nor is it one that will go easy on gamers. It does, however, differentiate itself from the rest of the crowd by virtue of its unique story premise, fun battle system, and evolving world map. Purchasers should bear in mind, though, that the huge number of hours put into this game might not all be fair ones.