MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies (PS Vita) Second Opinion Review

The latest entry in the HyperDimension franchise takes place in Gamindustry Academy, which is focused at teaching young CPUs about human culture to make them better video game conso.... erm, goddesses over the land. Here, Blanc and her friends experience the time of their youth, but it is threatened on multiple fronts, first by the world population crisis making fewer children being born into the world, meaning fewer attends the school, and, secondly, by a recent zombie outbreak. She and her friends, however, have the perfect solution to both of the problems: Making a zombie movie!

The story is filled with jokes and references to the horror genre and video games in general, showing strong signs of what is Compile Heart's signature: their humour. Throughout this, from start to finish, players can expect to laugh at more than one occasion about the misfortunes Blanc and the rest of the girls in Gamindustry are exposed to in their attempt to both create a good zombie movie and killing the zombies.

The zombie-killing, which is the main point of the gameplay, is done through an action system similar, but far more refined and balanced than the one found in Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed, which creates a fast-paced, hectic, and enjoyable experience from start to end. Two of the biggest improvements in here over the last game is the fact that there are more ranged attacks, preventing the semi invulnerability that each attack made by some characters gave them, and that none of the encounters realistically takes more than five minutes.

The mix of these improvements makes MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs. Zomibies what Action U really wanted to be. The balanced and quick encounters make this a title that is perfect to play on the go on the PS Vita. Another really interesting approach to this title is making Blanc the main character. It puts more focus on the humour she brings to Gamindustry, and it is a fresh breeze that makes the game stand out in a positive way from the rest of the franchise.

Luckily, Compile Heart decided to play more on Blanc's qualities as a writer and as a stoic, yet, temperamental, young woman, rather than her small-boobs angst to give the audience reasons to laugh. While there certainly are parts where she laments her lack of development - honestly, Blanc wouldn't be Blanc without it - it is very low compared to her screen time and gives her room to show off more of her personality, which is extremely welcomed as she evolves to become a quite likeable main character that the player can truly root for.

Both the humour and gameplay is here for a great portable title to take in shorter doses, and makes a great job at making MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs. Zombies a great purchase for fans of the HyperDimension franchise. However, as always with these, this isn't for everyone. For those that they are for, though, this might be the perfect way to spend half an hour.