Title: Neptunia Virtual Stars
Developer: Idea Factory International
Publisher: Idea Factory International
Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG
Price: $49.99
The Neptunia series is certainly one that’s not afraid to diversify. Idea Factory has dipped the Neptunia franchise’s toes in practically everything at this point, straying from its role-playing-game niche to create all sorts of different offerings in different genres. Neptunia Virtual Stars is one such example, veering from the roots and going for a fast-paced action setup. While its premise is silly, it’s unabashedly self-aware, and the combination of light-hearted humor and entertaining story beats makes it seem like a natural extension. If nothing else, it’s another way to see the cute virtual idols of Gamindustri get an excuse to kick some butt.
In Neptunia Virtual Stars, that’s exactly what the Neptunia girls do. Working hand in hand with some Virtual YouTubers, they hack, shoot, and cut their way to save another world from destruction. With different weapons on tap, different skills to equip, and different accessories to use, the heroines of Neptunia Virtual Stars raise the quality of the third person action shooter genre.
Eschewing the series’ turn-based RPG systems, Neptunia Virtual Stars revels in its frenetic shooting and gritty melee swings. Each of the goddesses all have their own different gear to use, and while the shooting mechanics aren’t particularly deep, they contrast greatly with the ability to use the VTubers’ own melee-focused weapons. You’ll zip and dodge through each stage, gunning down opponents and hacking them to bits as you please. It doesn’t require much brain power, but it’s exceedingly fast and fluid. And while the combat can sometimes feel loose due to the guns being nearly useless without locking on, it does make successful hits feel weighty and impactful. With a pretty good soundtrack to match, Neptunia Virtual Stars’ first impression is certainly solid, and serves to tide you over long enough to get to what most buyers will undoubtedly get the game for: its VTuber collaboration.
Somehow, Idea Factory has managed to pull some actual VTubers into the game itself, and honestly, it’s the perfect fanservice to spice things up. The clips aren’t particularly long video clips, but their integration is nonetheless a treat. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see Shirakami Fubuki and Minato Aqua to drop in. But they do, and more; from Hololive to Kizuna Ai to The Fist Of The North Star’s Heart, no doubt included half-jokingly. However strong these moments might be, though, they’re ultimately a mixed bag. Most of the actual VTuber screen time you’ll see is taken up by the game’s own VTuber heroines in Me, You, Vice, and Licht. The rest of the VTubers are relegated to short, if sweet, cameos between battles, and what utility they have in-game isn’t seen through actual collaborations with them; they’re more like equipment. True, it would’ve been unreasonable to expect the Hololive idols to join in on the action. Then again, it does feel disappointing for the game to barely use them.
That’s perhaps the biggest let-down for Neptunia Virtual Stars. By itself, the game is nothing earth-shaking; its combat is entertaining but repetitive, and its story is run-of-the-mill and mediocre. It’s the VTuber collaboration that promises no small measure of uniqueness; while the game’s own VTuber heroines are entertaining, the chance for you to actually interact with your favorite VTubers should be the game’s main selling point. That said, it’s hard not to feel like they’re underutilized, especially when you consider how popular these VTubers actually are. This leaves Neptunia Virtual Stars feeling empty, as if it had a hole inside its makeup; it’s still a lot of fun, but it could have been more.
Make no mistake. Neptunia Virtual Stars remains a good recommend, and not simply because it’s the latest release from a revered intellectual property. It does have its moments where it’s extremely entertaining, and. especially early on, its fast pace and cute themes really make it shine. Unfortunately, its inability to fully capitalize on its combat mechanics and its thematic inclinations makes it hard to fully appreciate. It’s a good game overall, but it’s one that does not live up to its potential.
THE GOOD
THE BAD
The Neptunia series is certainly one that’s not afraid to diversify. Idea Factory has dipped the Neptunia franchise’s toes in practically everything at this point, straying from its role-playing-game niche to create all sorts of different offerings in different genres. Neptunia Virtual Stars is one such example, veering from the roots and going for a fast-paced action setup. While its premise is silly, it’s unabashedly self-aware, and the combination of light-hearted humor and entertaining story beats makes it seem like a natural extension. If nothing else, it’s another way to see the cute virtual idols of Gamindustri get an excuse to kick some butt.
Eschewing the series’ turn-based RPG systems, Neptunia Virtual Stars revels in its frenetic shooting and gritty melee swings. Each of the goddesses all have their own different gear to use, and while the shooting mechanics aren’t particularly deep, they contrast greatly with the ability to use the VTubers’ own melee-focused weapons. You’ll zip and dodge through each stage, gunning down opponents and hacking them to bits as you please. It doesn’t require much brain power, but it’s exceedingly fast and fluid. And while the combat can sometimes feel loose due to the guns being nearly useless without locking on, it does make successful hits feel weighty and impactful. With a pretty good soundtrack to match, Neptunia Virtual Stars’ first impression is certainly solid, and serves to tide you over long enough to get to what most buyers will undoubtedly get the game for: its VTuber collaboration.
Somehow, Idea Factory has managed to pull some actual VTubers into the game itself, and honestly, it’s the perfect fanservice to spice things up. The clips aren’t particularly long video clips, but their integration is nonetheless a treat. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see Shirakami Fubuki and Minato Aqua to drop in. But they do, and more; from Hololive to Kizuna Ai to The Fist Of The North Star’s Heart, no doubt included half-jokingly. However strong these moments might be, though, they’re ultimately a mixed bag. Most of the actual VTuber screen time you’ll see is taken up by the game’s own VTuber heroines in Me, You, Vice, and Licht. The rest of the VTubers are relegated to short, if sweet, cameos between battles, and what utility they have in-game isn’t seen through actual collaborations with them; they’re more like equipment. True, it would’ve been unreasonable to expect the Hololive idols to join in on the action. Then again, it does feel disappointing for the game to barely use them.
That’s perhaps the biggest let-down for Neptunia Virtual Stars. By itself, the game is nothing earth-shaking; its combat is entertaining but repetitive, and its story is run-of-the-mill and mediocre. It’s the VTuber collaboration that promises no small measure of uniqueness; while the game’s own VTuber heroines are entertaining, the chance for you to actually interact with your favorite VTubers should be the game’s main selling point. That said, it’s hard not to feel like they’re underutilized, especially when you consider how popular these VTubers actually are. This leaves Neptunia Virtual Stars feeling empty, as if it had a hole inside its makeup; it’s still a lot of fun, but it could have been more.
Make no mistake. Neptunia Virtual Stars remains a good recommend, and not simply because it’s the latest release from a revered intellectual property. It does have its moments where it’s extremely entertaining, and. especially early on, its fast pace and cute themes really make it shine. Unfortunately, its inability to fully capitalize on its combat mechanics and its thematic inclinations makes it hard to fully appreciate. It’s a good game overall, but it’s one that does not live up to its potential.
THE GOOD
- Cameos from VTubers
- Decent combat mechanics and a bevy of characters to choose from, especially with the downloadable content
- A very, very solid selection of songs in the soundtrack
THE BAD
- Repetitive and loose gunplay that’s very reliant on a lock-on system
- VTubers feel underutilized, and that was the entire point of the game
- Somewhat prone to crashing, with some particularly bad lag spikes in some dungeon segments
RATING: 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment