Western reviews of ero-RPG Hyper Dimension Neptunia have seen the game denounced for its “disturbingly sexualized caricatures of young girls” and “depressing stereotypes of vapid, sexy cuteness,” a promising condemnation if ever there were one.
The game is definite niche title even in Japan, and by no means a masterpiece, but has generally received average reviews in Japan and amongst western JRPG fans – however top US reviewer-for-hire site GameSpot considers it a virtual abomination:
This hypersexualized role-playing game degrades the console war with questionable gameplay mechanics, choppy animation, and some truly awful music.
The Good:
* Building combos can be rewarding.
The Bad:
* Characters are disturbingly sexualized caricatures of young girls
* Visuals are choppy and poorly animated
* Music is so repetitive that it verges on painful
* Story does little to build on promising premise
* Random healing system is irritating and poorly executed.Hyperdimension Neptunia begins with a promising premise: It personifies each of the major systems in the so-called “console wars,” lending each its own personality and powers.
But if you’re expecting an amusing deconstruction of the video game industry, prepare to be disappointed. Instead, Neptunia’s premise is a thin excuse for a role-playing game that revolves around hypersexualized young girls.
Thus, key characters amount to little more than disturbing dolls wielding such weapons as a giant syringe.
Characters like IF (short for Idea Factory) and Compa (Compile Heart) have their own look, but otherwise, they’re almost completely devoid of personality, existing only as depressing stereotypes of vapid, sexy cuteness.
With no marketing bribes forthcoming and a (female) reviewer who evidently hates both anime girls and JRPGs, let alone niche ecchi RPGs, such a rating is perhaps none too surprising.
Those interested in depressing stereotypes of vapid, sexy cuteness and disturbingly sexualised caricatures of young girls will find the game to be readily available.
Bad actually good you know?!?
ok… by my opinion the game hasn’t got the best graphics in the world and some people may not like the music or perfectly fluid battle system. but. its not suppose to look realistic and if you hate the music then it can be turned off and then you can play your own background music. and i know it doesn’t have a fast battle system but if you play fast games all the time then its good if you want to relax a little. and i haven’t completed the game yet but so far iv enjoyed the lack of seriousness in the story and have laughed more than a few times. i can understand why some people dislike the game but if you think about it. if all games were the same we would all get bored. overall i found this game excellent if your in the mood for something funny (if your into adult humor anyway). oh and one more thing… everyone is entitled to there own opinion but when opinions clash… you get some entertaining reading material. so please… keep on yelling at eachother. Captain Walrus (not real psn/whatever name) over and out.
he is right
This is the rarest game in the us! you can even resell a used copy for almost double beacuse people said it a bad game but people still go out of the way to buy this game….
DURR HURR I CAN’T LOOK LIKE A PEDOPHILE I BETTER BASH THE GAME BECAUSE I CAN’T TELL FANTASY FROM REALITY