Hyperdimension Neptunia (series)

[Obiwanshinobi]

I've been just searching for any cheap PS3 oddities and found out not only three "core" Hyperdimension Neptunia games got released in all regions, but as did Hypercollection anthology, as a disc... so it might have actually been quite a seller, not only in Japan. I don't recall seeing it even namedropped much, though. So the question is - just how sad does enjoying it make one feel? (Don't worry - "no more than [some other game's name]", if honest, should be answer enough.)

[cj iwakura]

It's infinitely more popular in the US. Idea Factory have such a negative reputation in Japan that they created the Compile Heart sub-brand to evade it. The US are ignorant to how bad their games are, and latched onto Neptunia with a fervency that worries me sometimes.
They do so well here that Idea Factory International was created as a result of Neptunia's success.


They're cutesy RPGs that sort of make fun of the console industry with endless pandering and horrible gameplay.

The first game is wildly regarded as terrible, with each one becoming less bad. I think they've almost reached mediocrity.

[ZellSF]

I don't get the hate for this.

Sure, gameplay is terrible, but it's a jRPG. What did you expect? Now there's a genre that should be dead and buried.

[BulletMagnet]

I wouldn't call them (following the first one, anyway) "terrible", but you'll definitely have to be on board with the silly humor (and fan service) to enjoy them enough to make them worth your while.

All three of the "main" games (a fourth is on the way for PS4) have been remade on the Vita under the "Re;Birth" moniker, and had some stuff added in (and occasionally, taken out); while the remakes are more technically sound, the overall structure (lots of questing) and battle system are basically the same for all of them, though the playable cast and other things vary. The first two "Re;birth" titles are also on Steam, and the third is coming; all the games have some form of DLC content (some free, some paid), some less obnoxious than others (Re;birth 3 on the Vita gives you pretty much every character in the series for free, or at least did at one point).

As far as side games go, there's an Idolmaster-esque game (haven't played, supposedly nothing special), a Dynasty Warriors-esque hack-n-slasher (supposedly not terrible, though haven't played that one either), and an SRPG (rather fun from what I tried, Sting helped with it), all on the Vita, with a handful of others in development (including a crossover with the "Sega girls").

Definitely otaku bait, but if that's not an instant turn-off for you (the fact that you're even asking suggests you have at least some tolerance for it) you might have some fun with the series.

[Squire Grooktook]

Sure, gameplay is terrible, but it's a jRPG. What did you expect? Now there's a genre that should be dead and buried.

Just imagine, somewhere, someone is saying this very quote with "jRPG" replaced with "shmup".

[ZellSF]

Sure, gameplay is terrible, but it's a jRPG. What did you expect? Now there's a genre that should be dead and buried.

Just imagine, somewhere, someone is saying this very quote with "jRPG" replaced with "shmup".

Of course someone is. They're wrong. I'm right.

[cj iwakura]

Sure, gameplay is terrible, but it's a jRPG. What did you expect? Now there's a genre that should be dead and buried.

Just imagine, somewhere, someone is saying this very quote with "jRPG" replaced with "shmup".

Why not both?



But I love JRPGs, so keep them around. I just hate bad ones. Make them all modern day occultist in setting, and we'll be better off. You'd think Persona and/or SMT would be a more popular formula to copy.

[SuperSoaker360]

I immediately stopped playing the first one when it said I had an "xx% chance to heal". What kind of silly mechanic....

The newer ones are okay, but they're still pretty monotonous.

[Kiken]

I've played the second one... very mediocre, however, I did find the mindless pandering rather amusing.. and you have characters named after 3 niche gaming companies (5pb, Cave and Falcom) who can all join your party and have a variety of attacks and costumes based on the games produced by those companies. Cave even has a super spell that uses dual Hibachi's to annihilate your enemies.

[Lord Satori]

Sure, gameplay is terrible, but it's a jRPG. What did you expect? Now there's a genre that should be dead and buried.

Just imagine, somewhere, someone is saying this very quote with "jRPG" replaced with "shmup".

Of course someone is. They're wrong. I'm right.

You sound like Skykid right now.

[Obiwanshinobi]

As a matter of fact I originally wanted to make it a major "jRPGs" thread, because the series' apparent closet popularity was that much of an eye-opener (I eventually wussed out).
Turns out it doesn't matter whether or not Square Enix will make their "next" FF7, or if a huge company or two go belly up - the "genre" (whatever it means anymore) is here to stay profitable for a while (if you can think of any older one standing this popular for any longer - let me know, although I think "FPS" comes near it).

Even Hyperdimension Neptunia apologists avoid using words of appraisal stronger than "mediocre"... where all the anger comes from indeed? My guess would be - challenging our idea of reasons why we like jRPGs at all.
Personally, the more I play them, the less I know what makes or breaks them. Since I doubt HN plays any worse than Xenogears, I'm inclined to take the plunge.

[Squire Grooktook]

Sure, gameplay is terrible, but it's a jRPG. What did you expect? Now there's a genre that should be dead and buried.

Just imagine, somewhere, someone is saying this very quote with "jRPG" replaced with "shmup".

Of course someone is. They're wrong. I'm right.

You're both wrong, actually.

[BryanM]

Video games were a mistake.

[Mero]

Haven't played any of the Neptunia games yet, Fairy Fencer F was good though.

[ZellSF]

I immediately stopped playing the first one when it said I had an "xx% chance to heal". What kind of silly mechanic....

That's a weird thing to have an issue with. Attack powers always have a chance to hit in JRPGs, why is it a silly mechanic for the same to apply to support powers?

(if you can think of any older one standing this popular for any longer - let me know, although I think "FPS" comes near it).

Platformers of various kinds are still popular. It's niche amounts of popularity sure, but so are JRPGs.

There was a deleted post here about EO that made me want to clarify: I only think JRPGs are devoid of gameplay merit, closely related genres (SRPGs, ARPGs, Dungeon Crawlers) are not.

On the subject of the Final Fantasy VII remake, I doubt they are going to be putting that much money into a traditional JRPG. They're probably going to shift more towards an ARPG approach (which seems to be the general direction their games are going). They're certainly not going to bring back the terrible abomination that ATB was.

[Squire Grooktook]

There are a lot of aspects of traditional turn based rpg's that I like. Resource management is fun. Exploration is fun. Planning ahead is fun. Long boss fights involving planning ahead and resource management are tense. Only problem is that pesky grinding, which makes most of the above a self imposed challenge if possible at all.

How about give me an rpg where every stage has a time limit, and players have to carefully choose how much time they want to spend powering up vs doing other relevant things.

(Dungeon Crawlers)

Not really sure the distinction you're making, since that's what most jrpg's are, of varying degrees of hardcore.

[Obiwanshinobi]

How about give me an rpg where every stage has a time limit, and players have to carefully choose how much time they want to spend powering up vs doing other relevant things.

Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter.

[BulletMagnet]

Attack powers always have a chance to hit in JRPGs, why is it a silly mechanic for the same to apply to support powers?

Personally I've always found random critical hits/misses annoying, and prefer games that either minimize or eliminate them altogether.

How about give me an rpg where every stage has a time limit, and players have to carefully choose how much time they want to spend powering up vs doing other relevant things.

Half-Minute Hero might also scratch that itch, though the RPG part of the equation is more window dressing in that one.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Another day, another eye-opener - I'm gobsmacked by the abundance of cheap Dragon Quarter copies out there, as if it was collectively rejected by the jRPGaming crowd. Whatever your average jRPG buyer likes the genre for, they must not have found it in BoFV.

[BryanM]

(Dungeon Crawlers)

Not really sure the distinction you're making, since that's what most jrpg's are, of varying degrees of hardcore.

Very true, they're literally exactly the same game.

There's nothing written in stone that a jRPG must provide you an infinite quantity of healing or that you have a battle system where only one attack skill matters or that you can't have weird lovecraftian themes or you can't have a kickass metal rock soundtrack that's too good. Those are all self imposed restrictions from cowardly design conservatism. And the federal law that 90% of everything must suck.

Whatever your average jRPG buyer likes the genre for, they must not have found it in BoFV.

I find it more amazing anyone anywhere is willing to part with money for Breath of Fire Anything.

Eh well I'm sure Capcom can turn the series around with BoF6.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Dragon Quarter was about as turnaround as FF11.

[cj iwakura]

I have a friend who adores Dragon Quarter, but I never played it. It's always been dirt cheap, though.