Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory Preview for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: PS3
Dev: Idea Factory/Compile Heart
Pub: NIS America
Release: March 12, 2013
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Fantasy Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes

In general, the game's programmers promise that they've designed the combat system in Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory to be faster and more engaging than that found in the two earlier titles. Exactly what this means isn't quite clear, but players can gain an idea of the general flow of battle by watching several battle trailers that are available for the game.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory Screenshot

Although the still models and backgrounds used in storytelling are nicely detailed, the dungeon environments seen in previews so far appear rather bland. This series is clearly focused on its characters more than its world, and those characters can be seen as problematic from several points of view. In their human form, they are unapologetically moe, including both the overly cute look and squeaky voices done by English voice actors attempting to emulate the Japanese voice track's sound. In their transformed CPU form, these cute little girls transform into often-busty adult characters wearing very skimpy outfits. Depending on one's point of view, the character designs and interactions in the Neptunia games can be seen as hilariously over-the-top, insultingly objectified, or just plain icky. Your mileage may vary.

Would you like Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory? The story seems to heavily reference previous games, so if you're interested in this one, I'd recommend giving one of the first two games in the series a spin first. I won't pretend that they come heavily recommended by this site's reviewers, as they don't. Still, the series has its fans, and Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory promises a faster combat system and even stranger cameos by various Japanese game industry luminaries. If you enjoy Compile Heart's particular combination of visuals and sometimes stiflingly old school gameplay, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory is a game made just for you.

By
Becky Cunningham
Lead Contributor
Date: January 29, 2013

Game Features:

Dynamic Combat: Freely move units in battle to tackle foes. Set up your own combos, fill up the EXE Drive gauge, and then deal "massive damage" with your finishing attacks!

Scout System: Send out scouts to explore and gather information on dungeons. Level them up so they can find things you may have missed on your adventure.

Flag System: Break or repair "flag" triggers in dungeons to activate different events when your scouts return from exploring! This can change enemy spawns or reveal new items!

Burn Game Discs: Obtain blank discs and burn different types of data onto them to access hidden potentials! With the right combinations, you may even make a Godly Game! It’s your chance to craft your own AAA title for Neptune and friends to equip!