To a gamer who doesn’t follow the series but is still aware of the series, Hyperdimension Neptunia might seem to be a convoluted, spin-off ridden, and overly fanservicey affair. Some of these aspects have rung true in the series for years, but with each new step, Hyperdimension Neptunia has become anything but increasingly intriguing. The game’s have gone from traditional JRPG’s to third person brawlers all with ease, and with the newest addition (a strategic RPG) being more converted to Western audiences upon a Steam release, is it time to jump back in, or realize what you’ve been missing all along? Let’s find out.

Gameplay:

Although the game isn’t particularly inspired by it, Final Fantasy Tactics vibes can be found in every nook and cranny

One of the more time extensive role playing ventures, Hyperdimension Neptunia has never stopped in it’s tracks to halt it’s hallmarks, and it’s never been so true here (even with a drastic genre flip). The game’s difficulty curve is built for people who have had plenty of time with other strategic RPG’s (Banner Saga, Shining Force, and Fire Emblem ring a bell?) but in any other instance it will take some time to get used to. Yet the biggest flaw is how tiring the whole thing can get, in a short span of time. The Hyperdimension Neptunia anthology has never advocated for this much patience, and tranquility.

Story/Design:

The game’s story is more fleshed out and engaging than others, but the dialogue never really seems to resonate

Just like the genre flip before it, Hyperdevotion Noire: Black Goddess Heart also brings some new and well-deserved changes to it’s story, adding a new setting and some mysterious characters. But not all of this is Producing Pefection, as the game takes forever to get going, and becomes uninteresting in what are supposed to be the most serious and intense moments. Some hardcore fans might disagree, but a little bit of fanservice or cheeky dialogue can’t save what I viewed as floundering.

Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:

Character designs are what you would expect from a game of this nature.

One of the best things I can say about Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart is that the artistic style does transition nicely. Environments pop unlike never before, and the character designs can be more noticeable in certain perspectives. This doesn’t make some dialogue slides and cutscenes any better though, but if anything, the nice presentation is an alleviation from what’s really at stake.

Conclusion:

Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart may be a literal mouthful, but not once does it ever retain to be as interesting as the title once suggests. It may stay away from classic tropes in order to reshape it’s own conventions, but it feels like a game that could have been left on the drawing board, instead of a full fledged release.

Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart gets a 5/10 (Flawed)

We’d like to thank Idea Factory for sending us a code!

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